bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SpEx: A Tool for Visualising and Navigating Speech Audio
Authors:   , Abdulhamid Fahmi
Published: November 2021

Audio is a ubiquitous form of information that is usually treated as a single, unbreakable, piece of content. Thus, audio interfaces remain simple, usually consisting of play, pause, forward, and rewind controls. Spoken audio can contain useful information across multiple topics and finding the information desired is usually time consuming. Most audio players simply do not reveal the content of the audio. By using the speech transcript and acoustic qualities of the audio, I have developed a tool, SpEx, which enabled search and navigation within spoken audio. SpEx displayed audio as discrete segments and revealed the topic content of each segment using mature Information Visualisation techniques. Audio segments were produced based on the acoustic and sentence properties of speech to identify topically and aurally distinct regions. A user study found that SpEx allowed users to find information in spoken audio quickly and reliably. By making spoken audio more accessible, people can gain access to a wider range of information.
The Localisation of Vulnerabilities: The construction of risks and hazards in the coverage of earthquakes in the Seattle Times and the Vancouver Sun
Authors:   , Jamieson Thomas
Published: November 2021

Despite an increasing willingness among academics politicians, policymakers, non-governmental organisations [NGOs], businesses, practitioners and citizens to confront the risks posed by disasters, many attempts at implementing measures of disaster risk reduction [DRR] have been unsuccessful. Much has been written about disaster risk reduction, but none of the literature has effectively analysed the necessary conditions for disaster risk reduction to be successful in an at-risk community.  Van Belle argues that the localisation of distant disasters – the practice where a news outlet covers an external event from their own locality’s point of view and interprets that event in terms of how it relates to them – is essential for DRR to become on the public agenda and create the opportunity for DRR policy to be successfully pursued (2012). This thesis adds to the understanding of the news coverage of non-local disaster events by analysing how disasters are localised by the news media to relate to the hazards faced by their communities. It was found that overseas disaster events must not only be localised, but also communalised through direct comparisons between communities in the news coverage for DRR to become on the public agenda in at-risk communities.  229 newspaper articles were analysed through a structured qualitative content analysis. Localisation occurred in the Seattle Times and the Vancouver Sun following six overseas earthquakes. It was found that the nature of the coverage changed according to the stricken country’s level of development, where more direct comparisons were made between communities after the earthquakes in Japan, Chile and in Turkey in some instances. However, the coverage of the earthquakes in Turkey, Pakistan and Haiti led to the establishment of a paternalistic victim-saviour type relationship between communities in the newspapers.  These findings have significant implications for the implementation of disaster risk reduction in at-risk communities and for the understanding of the production of news. Additionally, the theoretical practice of localisation was developed and operationalised. This led to the formulation of five typologies of localisation that illustrated the nature of the coverage of the earthquakes in the two leading broadsheet newspapers in the Pacific Northwest. Significantly, the thesis suggests that the nature of the localisation may depend on their level of identification with the stricken community.
Population Genetics of New Zealand Pagrus auratus and Genetic Variation of an Aquaculture Broodstock
Authors:   , Ashton David T.
Published: November 2021

Fisheries and aquaculture are major contributors of nutrition and animal protein worldwide. Understanding the genetic variation and differentiation within and between wild populations is important for both sustainable fisheries management and selection of aquaculture broodstock. This study determined the genetic variation and differentiation of New Zealand Pagrus auratus based on mitochondrial DNA control region sequencing and microsatellite DNA genotyping. Low but significant differentiation was measured between several sample sites, but otherwise the population was genetically panmictic. The M-ratio test and Fu’s Fs statistics indicate that there may have been historical bottlenecks at all sample sites and a more recent bottleneck in the Tasman Bay. Two South Island sites were identified that had not been through recent bottlenecks and were not significantly differentiated from the Tasman Bay, which may provide a source of gene flow to aid its genetic recovery. Comparison of the broodstock and wild genetic variation indicate that the broodstock represented most of the genetic variation found in high frequency in wild populations, but further wild-caught individuals may be needed, based on the criteria used in several previous studies. Simulations indicate that adding approximately 20 and 48 wild-caught individuals from multiple populations to the current broodstock was needed to represent all genetic variation above a target frequency of 0.05 in the Tasman Bay and all sample sites, respectively.
Roll On - Roll Off
Authors:   , McKenzie Mitchell
Published: November 2021

During the final months of 2011 the New Zealand government revisited a 50 year old proposal to move the inter-island ferry terminal, currently located in Picton, to a site bordering on both Lake Grassmere and the Clifford Bay coastline. This thesis is based around the design of the new terminal facilities.The primary goal of this research is to develop a model for a new inter-island ferry terminal that responds to its surroundings and explores Norberg-Schulz theory of genius loci. This thesis is born from the work of a number of theorists whose arguments surrounding the concept of place have strong relation to passenger terminal architecture.   Through the combination of Lynch’s theory of concretised space and Norberg-Schulz’s theory of genius loci the design case study proposes a new passenger terminal that has been designed to express the dynamic nature of travel and critique the notion of the terminal as a “waiting room” while still maintaining required terminal function. Internal terminal functions such as shops or staff areas are localised to nodal structures that sit within broader space. This allows for the expression of the locality while still providing a level of internal flexibility for the user. Therefore the terminal becomes a space of endless possibility and enjoyment rather than a soulless and leftover space as many terminals are perceived to be. The site for this design is of utmost importance to the project. This means that the outcomes discussed are directly relevant to this site alone, no other location could yield identical results.   This project is not undertaken as a feasibility study but as an architectural study exploring a concept through design. Therefore the outcome is not a technocratic one but an exploratory one.
Use of selection tools in New Zealand secondary school libraries
Authors:   , Chisholm Katherine Mary
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this research was to investigate the use of selection tools in New Zealand secondary schools, specifically which selection tools are used, how satisfactory the tools are, and which criteria secondary school librarians use in assessing selection tools. Particular attention was paid to the status of evaluative and alerting selection tools in school libraries. A mail questionnaire was sent to a random nationwide sample of 186 secondary school librarians. To gain a richer understanding of the context of selection in secondary schools, 4 focus groups were also held in the Wellington, Horowhenua, Palmerston North, and Wanganui areas. The resulting data was analysed alongside the questionnaire data to provide more comprehensive answers to the study's research questions. The study found that alerting tools were more widely used and considered more valuable than evaluative tools, with the ability to preview an item a key concern for school librarians. Tools supplied by the book selling and publishing industries were the most common tools used, and the features of selection tools considered most important focused on a tool's performance as an alerting tool. Online tools were not widely used, with connectivity problems and lack of time cited as the most common reasons.
Developmental Devices Used to Create Coherence and Unity in Multi-Movement Suites in a Modern Jazz Orchestra Setting
Authors:   , Brake Ryan
Published: November 2021

Solipsis is a six-movement composition for a seventeen-piece jazz orchestra. Each movement was composed to possess its own unique qualities and be able to stand alone. Yet one of the main objectives of this project was to create unity and coherence through the entire suite through the use of non-musical ideas like programmatic themes and conceptual ideas as well as applying various musical techniques such as melodic motifs, harmonic progressions and concepts, chord voicings and rhythm to develop musical ideas.  As a way of creating a sense of unity between each of the pieces, each movement is inspired by themes and motifs inherent in the film Synecdoche, New York, and musical concepts such as nonfunctional harmony (modal harmony and atonal harmony) form the basis for much of the melodic and harmonic material contained in Solipsis.  As preparation for the composition of Soilipsis I studied two three-movement suites from two of the more prominent jazz orchestra writers working today; One Question, Three Answers written by Jim McNeely, and Scenes from Childhood by Maria Schnieder. What follows is a detailed analysis of their works followed by a comprehensive breakdown of my own Solipsis.
Aspects of the Chronology, Structure and Thermal History of the Kawerau Geothermal Field
Authors:   , Milicich Sarah Dawn
Published: November 2021

The development and management of high-temperature geothermal resources for electrical power generation requires accurate knowledge of the local geological conditions, particularly where they impact on the hydrology of the resource. This study is an integrated programme of work designed to develop new perspectives on the geological and structural framework of the Kawerau geothermal resource as a sound basis for field management. Although the geological approaches and techniques utilised in this study have previously been used, their application to an integrated study of a geothermal system in New Zealand has not been previously undertaken.  Correlating volcanic and sedimentary stratigraphy in geothermal areas in New Zealand can be challenging due to similarities in lithology and the destruction of distinctive chemical, mineralogical and textural characteristic by hydrothermal alteration. A means to overcoming these issues is to utilise dating to correlate the stratigraphy. Zircons are resistant to the effects of typical hydrothermal conditions and were dated using SIMS techniques (SHRIMP-RG) to retrieve U–Pb ages on zircons. These age data were then used to correlate units across the field, in part aided by correlations to material that had previously been dated from fresh rock by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar techniques, and used to redefine the stratigraphic framework for the area. [...]  Although previously inferred to be a long–lived system, the modern Kawerau Geothermal Field is a Holocene entity reflecting the rejuvenation of magmatic heat flux associated with Putauaki volcano superimposed on an area of multiple reactivated fault structures, sporadic magmatism and variable rates of subsidence. This study documents past patterns of fluid flow, temperatures and chemistry, and inferred permeability within the field. Using textural relationships in selected samples, the relative timing and patterns of hydrothermal alteration, and fluid flows can be established. These textural relationships are then calibrated against fluid inclusion palaeotemperature measurements and isotope data and related to temperatures and compositions of past fluids. Short–lived heat sources beneath the field resulted from local magma intrusions, and are responsible for the 0.36 Ma and 0.138 Ma rhyolites and Holocene eruptive activity of Putauaki andesite–dacite volcano. The Putauaki activity is inferred to be responsible for the thermal and alteration characteristics of the modern system.
A Multi-Touch Explorer Environment for Eclipse
Authors:   , Cope Daniel
Published: November 2021

The Multi-Touch Explorer Environment (MTEE) is a tool to aid developers during the production of multi-touch enabled applications. The MTEE tool integrates into the Eclipse IDE and can be used to record and playback user interactions with the program, compare sessions of recorded user interactions and investigate the evolution of the program behaviour. The tool presented in this thesis focuses on the Eclipse IDE and Multi-Touch for Java framework, as they are tools used by both Students and Professional developers. It is demonstrated that the Multi-Touch Explorer Environment can be integrated seamlessly into the Eclipse IDE. It is also demonstrated that the MTEE tool can be used to profile the user’s program with little impact on the performance of both the system or the program itself.
Gender ratios in library management (‘directorship’) roles in New Zealand public and tertiary libraries
Authors:   , Shute Gareth
Published: November 2021

Research problem: This study looked at the percentage of female managers in charge of library systems within New Zealand between 1980 and 2013 to see if their gender balance matched the wider library workforce (which has upwards of 80% female staff). Methodology: Directories of public libraries were examined and the gender of each library manager was noted. Results: The overall figure for library managers was found to be around 80%, with a slight improvement over the period examined. However, when public libraries were divided by size, the results for the 1980s showed that large libraries had fewer female managers than the overall library workforce, while small libraries had a larger percentage. This difference was shown to decrease over the period studied, until both large and small libraries had around 80% female staff. A similar result was shown in preliminary data sourced from New South Wales (Australia), which suggested that this trend also occurs overseas. The New Zealand data also considered tertiary institutions. At the beginning of the study, only one out of six university library systems was managed by a woman, while in the most recent year seven out of ten managers were female. In contrast, there was found to be a high percentage of female managers in charge of polytechs over this same time. Implications: These results suggest that a gender bias existed within some sectors of librarianship (within large public libraries and university libraries) at the beginning of the study period, but that this bias has largely disappeared in recent years.
Electronic records management at the coal face: Testing a behaviour search model for EDRMS
Authors:   , Mackay Heather
Published: November 2021

The main objective of this proposed research is to test the reliability and validity of the information search model presented by Joseph, Debowski & Goldschmidt (2013a) which relates to searching in EDRMS. In order to do this, the search behaviour of employees using the EDRMS eDOCS Hummingbird in a New Zealand local authority will be compared with the model. Another research objective is to gain information about current search behaviour in relationship to the design of the new EDRMS system Objective which will soon be installed in the test organisation. As the literature review shows, introducing an EDRMS to a workplace is difficult, requiring a major change to the way that employees have managed their information, (Maguire, 2005). The last objective is to gain insights from the search behaviour in regards to training for the new system.
Applying Funds of Knowledge in a New Zealand High School: The Emergence of Team-based Collaboration as an Approach
Authors:   , Hogg Linda Mary
Published: November 2021

Underachievement by Māori and Pasifika students in New Zealand schools evidences the need for more effective teacher practices to support minoritized students‟ learning, in the interests of social justice. Learning about students' funds of knowledge (FoK) allows teachers to offer relevant learning experiences, achieving a fuller socio-constructivist approach to teaching and learning (González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005). This study explores the relevance of the FoK concept in the New Zealand context, and its application at high school level.  For the purposes of this qualitative study, participants (n = 21) from a high school community were organized into five teams; three teams included a teacher, students, and their parents, and two included a teacher and students. Each team negotiated, implemented, and evaluated strategies for the teacher to learn about students' FoK.  Findings highlight the dual layer of benefits arising from participation in collaborative teams and teacher inquiry into students' FoK. Each team formed a temporary system which transcended school norms and values, allowed members to interact in new ways, and provided a safe space for exploration of the application of FoK. A conceptual map outlining elements of the team-based collaboration (TBC) approach identifies factors related to purpose, participants, and process which generated each team's culture. Complex interplay of contextual elements influenced teams' milieu, decision-making, and valued outcomes.  Valued outcomes included: identification of diverse FoK held by Māori and Pasifika students; development of closer teacher-student relationships and increased mutual commitment; greater evidence of effective learning behaviors in class; and pedagogical applications that were congruent with existing teaching programs. Barriers to valued outcomes suggest areas for participant training; these included the matching of strategy choice to participants to illuminate FoK, traditional teacher-student dynamics, and time and timing. Implications for teacher practice and future research are identified.
An investigation of academics’ perception, uptake and use of ebooks at the University of Waikato
Authors:   , Lamb Alistair
Published: November 2021

Research problem The goal of this research was to determine the perception, uptake and use of ebooks by academic staff at the University of Waikato. The study discovers why, and to a certain degree how, academics are utilising, or not utilising, ebook resources available to them from the University‟s Library. The results inform library staff involved with the promotion, purchase and education of the use of ebooks. Methodology An online quantitative questionnaire survey was employed to gather the necessary data for analysis. This statistical approach enabled the survey to be delivered to a wider range of participants allowing for a broader coverage of responses. The population of this study was drawn exclusively from the employees of the University of Waikato and the particular sample chosen was confined to academics who are involved with teaching and/or research. Results The study shows that ebook awareness is strong with the academic community but generally, the full potential of ebooks has not been realised within their professional environment. There is clearly the need and desire for improvement of technologies, access and supply of ebooks. It is also apparent that there is a need for patron education by the Library to raise awareness about the ebooks they offer and the tools used to view and access them. Implications An increase An increase in support from Library staff through a variety of channels is required. Visibility and access to ebooks needs to be improved along with greater relevancy of available content. Education and instruction should serve as the primary tools to increase academic use and acceptance of ebooks. However not all these goals can be achieved by Library staff as many limitations are imposed by ebook vendors and publishers and therefore outside of the Library‟s control. Despite these limitations it is important for Library staff to assist ebook users to explore the advantageous aspects of the ebook environment.
Simulation of Automotive Warranty Data
Authors:   , Anderson Ronald Boyd
Published: November 2021

This thesis will investigate the prediction of the number of claims in a two dimensional automotive warranty claim model for the case of minimal repair.The method involved fitting marginal distributions for age of claim and mileage of claim seperately. Next, various copulas were fitted to establish the correlation between age and mileage, and assessed for fit. The Gumbel copula is chosen as optimal. From this Gumbel copula, a simulation of warranty claims is undertaken. The method produced a good fit for claim age but performed less well for claim mileage, due to the asymmetry of the correlation between mileage and age. Further research directions to improve the accuracy and usefulness of this model are suggested.
Exploring partnerships between nonprofit organisations in New Zealand
Authors:   , Sutton Nicola Joy
Published: November 2021

Nonprofit partnership with government and with business is well documented in the literature. However partnership between nonprofit organisations has largely been ignored. This research focuses on such New Zealand partnerships. It investigates three aspects of partnership: the reasons why organisations partner, the resources they allocate to those partnerships, and the competencies used by the people managing the partnerships. How these three partnership aspects influence each other and the effect of that on the partnerships is also explored.  The study focuses on the ‘partnership’ rather than the ‘co-existence’ end of Craig and Courtney’s (2004) continuum where elements such as working from agreed values, sharing resources and decision making, and developing systems to support the partnership will be evident. Two partnerships were selected as case studies. Data came from semi-structured interviews with seven participants from five partner organisations.  The literature provided a framework for analysing the interview data in relation to the three aspects of partnership. This framework led to the identification of four new motivational factors, two new resource allocations and two new competencies. The literature also provided six theories that help explain partnership motivations.  In addition to the three aspects (motivation, resources, and competencies) of partnership, it became clear that these things made a difference: · the term used to describe what they were doing – collaboration or partnership, · the context, · the presence of trust and goodwill, · voluntary participation in partnership, and · the level of formality.  The findings demonstrated that the motivation to partner at all was the most important of the three aspects of partnership. It influenced resource allocations and the competencies used by partnership managers. Resource allocations did not influence the motivation to partner but influenced the competencies used by the partnership managers. And the competencies used by the partnership managers influenced the resources allocated by organisations but generally did not influence the motivation to partner.  The findings add to our knowledge about nonprofit-nonprofit partnership and will help people to plan partnerships. I also propose five areas for further research: · factors that influence formality, · factors that prevent nonprofit partnership, · role of competencies in motivating partnership, · quantity of resources and the impact on outcomes, and · ownership of intellectual property.
Life After Politics? The post-leadership activities of New Zealand premiers and prime ministers, 1856-2008
Authors:   , Booker Jess
Published: November 2021

Political leadership has been a nebulous concept in New Zealand, one that has grown and changed as we have matured as a nation. Scholarship on political leadership in New Zealand has also matured, particularly over the last several decades, to now stand in its own right. Absent from this scholarship, however, has been a focus on what our leaders do after leaving office and why they undertake such activities. This thesis looks at the collective activities of New Zealand’s Premiers and Prime Ministers from 1856-2008. Drawing upon the influence of both individual and situational variables, it highlights a series of patterns within three distinct groups of leaders. Firstly, the Colonial Premiers (1856-1893), who carved out a range of post-leadership activities, though the choice of many of these activities often reflected a need to stabilise their financial position, which had deteriorated during their time as Premier. The Kiwi Prime Ministers (1856-1960), whose choice of post-leadership activities was marked by the transformational events occurring during their lifetime: two World Wars, a Great Depression and a series of significant industrial disputes. Many of these 20th century Prime Ministers suffered significant physical or psychological decline during their time in office. Finally, the Modern New Zealand Prime Ministers (1960-2008) have set a distinct new trend in post-leadership activity. Though some have still suffered from the emotional and physical demands of office, many leaders within this cohort have used their time as Prime Minister as a stepping-stone to greater activities upon leaving office. This trend, noticeable in our last five Prime Ministers, is important in that signals that post-leadership activities will now become a significant feature of a leader’s lifetime. Yet these illustrious post-political careers have occurred mainly outside of New Zealand, or behind the closed doors of the business world. This thesis suggests that we are losing a rich societal asset by not drawing upon the distinct skills and experiences of our former leaders and enabling them to become elder statesmen and women. The presence of such a community could contribute greatly to the future, as New Zealand navigates it way through debates of national significance and future crises.
Alexander Pope and the tracts advising women of the long eighteenth century
Authors:   , Williams Eve
Published: November 2021

This thesis contextualises the treatment of women in Alexander Pope's Epistle to a Lady (1743) against three conduct manuals from the eighteenth century. These three texts are The Whole Duty of a Woman by A Lady (1696), The Art of Knowing Women by Le Chevalier Plante-Amour (1732) and An Essay in Praise of Women (1733) by James Bland.  The Art of Knowing Women has been paid only passing reference by feminist scholars. The Whole Duty of a Woman appears to be known solely for the compilation of recipes which forms its final section, and An Essay in Praise of Women is, as far as I have been able to discover, completely unknown. Despite the critical work on the supposed misogyny of Pope, virtually no attention has been paid to the context supplied by these advice manuals, symptoms of their age. In my reading, however, these manuals function both as sources for the Epistle to a Lady, and as subjects of Pope's imaginative satire.  I begin by surveying the relevant aspects of Pope's personal history. Drawing on recent historical scholarship, I go on to outline something of the situation of women in the eighteenth century. My comparative study follows. I take each manual in turn, comparing its ideological content and rhetoric with those of Pope. By contrast with these tracts, Pope's poem emerges as far from misogynistic. Indeed, it conveys a nuanced, complex and sympathetic attitude towards women.
Wandering wives or foreign fillies? The women of archaic Greek colonisation
Authors:   , Kerr Harriet
Published: November 2021

Greek colonisation in the archaic period encompassed an enormous geographical area. But for all its prevalence, the textual evidence is limited in both quantity and quality and the archaeological evidence goes only some way towards helping decipher social change and ethnicity. These issues become even more apparent when considering the position of women in the new city foundations. Did Greek colonists take their own wives with them to their new homes? Were Greek women sent out at a later date once the colony had become established? Did Greek colonists intermarry with indigenous women on arrival? Or did something else happen, including a mix of these options? The weight of scholarly opinion currently falls in favour of intermarriage, though frequently little evidence is proffered to support this view. This thesis focuses on this hypothesis and examines the evidence (or lack thereof) to support this conclusion.  Chapter One examines the problems associated with archaic Greek colonisation generally, particularly those issues connected with the ‘language of colonisation’. The study of Greek colonisation has been complicated by imprecise and ambiguous terminology, which frequently draws comparison with more modern (although altogether different) instances of the phenomenon. A major repercussion of this is the tendency to overlook both women and any indigenous peoples. The opening chapter also examines the various reasons behind the foundation of colonies, as well as the different types of settlements, so that an assessment can be made as to whether Greek women might have been more likely to accompany colonising expeditions in some instances over others. Chapter Two looks at the concept of intermarriage more closely and assesses Greek attitudes towards foreign women. It also evaluates the evidence typically called upon by scholars to argue for and against intermarriage in Greek colonisation. Chapter Three assesses the evidence for the presence of women in ten different colonies. Presented roughly in chronological order, these colonies were selected for their geographical scope, covering different regions from the Western Mediterranean, Magna Graecia, North Africa, and the Black Sea. This discussion explores both the literary and archaeological evidence (where possible) for each of these colonies and assesses the potential for intermarriage. This thesis demonstrates that broad conclusions about intermarriage as a widespread practice are unsustainable and concludes that colonisation in the archaic period cannot be considered a uniform phenomenon.
The Mummy's Complaint: An Object-Biography of the Egyptian Mummies in New Zealand Museums, 1885-1897
Authors:   , Brown-Haysom Ryan
Published: November 2021

Recent years have seen a revival of interest in material objects in the humanities generally, and in Museum Studies in particular. Although the influence of this 'material turn' is still in its early stages, one of the manifestations of the renewed interest in the 'life of things' has been the growth of interest in Actor-Network Theory, a branch of sociological analysis which attempts to reconstruct the networks of agency through which social existence is created and maintained. One of the more controversial aspects of Actor-Network Theory (or ANT) is its willingness to concede a level of agency to non-human and inanimate actors in these 'assemblages'. For Museum Studies, the relevance of this theoretical framework lies in the analysis of museums both as assemblages in their own right, and as actants in a network of other sites, institutions, technologies, ideologies, and objects. Museum objects, long viewed as inert, can be seen instead as participants in the 'shuffle of agency' that constitutes institutions and inducts them into wider patterns of social activity.  This dissertation uses the case study of Egyptian mummies in New Zealand museums to gauge the usefulness of an ANT-based approach to writing the 'life-history of objects'. Borrowing the concept of the 'object biography' from Kopytoff and Appadurai, it attempts to construct such a history of the five complete Egyptian mummies in New Zealand’s public museums. Using the principles of Actor-Network Theory, it attempts to trace the ways in which mummies have been constituted as 'meaningful objects' through the examination of the ways in which they have moved through different assemblages, both globally and within New Zealand, during the twelve years from 1885 to 1897. This was the period during which all five Egyptian mummies entered New Zealand collections, traversing networks of imperialism, scientific knowledge, religious knowledge, and exchange. In the course of their movement through these diverse assemblages, the meaning of mummies – inside and outside the public museum – could be construed in radically different ways.  This dissertation considers the usefulness of such a methodology for Museum Studies and Material Culture Studies, and considers the potential benefits and pitfalls of writing about assemblages for those who want to consider the life-history of objects.
Speech Enhancement using Multiple Transducers
Authors:   , Anderson Craig
Published: November 2021

In this thesis, three methods of speech enhancement techniques are investigated with applications in extreme noise environments.  Various beamforming techniques are evaluated for their performance characteristics in terms of signal to (distant) noise ratio and tolerance to design imperfections. Two suitable designs are identified with contrasting performance characteristics — the second order differential array, with excellent noise rejection but poor robustness; and a least squares design, with adequate noise rejection and good robustness.  Adaptive filters are introduced in the context of a simple noise canceller and later a post-processor for a dual beamformer system. Modifications to the least mean squares (LMS) filter are introduced to tolerate cross-talk between microphones or beamformer outputs.  An adaptive filter based post-processor beamforming system is designed and evaluated using a simulation involving speech in noisy environments. The beamforming methods developed are combined with the modified LMS adaptive filter to further reduce noise (if possible) based on correlations between noise signals in a beamformer directed to the talker and a complementary beamformer (nullformer) directed away from the talker. This system shows small, but not insignificant, improvements in noise reduction over purely beamforming based methods.  Blind source separation is introduced briefly as a potential future method for enhancing speech in noisy environments. The FastICA algorithm is evaluated on existing data sets and found to perform similarly to the post-processing system developed in this thesis. Future avenues of research in this field are highlighted.
Whāia Te Mauriora - In Pursuit of Healing: Theorising connections between soul healing, tribal self-determination and Māori suicide prevention in Aotearoa / New Zealand
Authors:   , Lawson-Te Aho Keri
Published: November 2021

Māori suicide is theorised as an outcome of the wounding of the indigenous spirit as a result of complex trauma birthed during colonisation. The spirit is theorised as the place where trauma and suffering take root in whakapapa (kinship). Whakapapa is theorised as the mechanism by which spiritual affliction is transferred inter-generationally manifesting in physical outcomes within and between generations. Māori suicide is interpreted as the physical manifestation of spiritual wounds and spiritual wounding requires responses that ameliorate and heal spiritual suffering at the source. Therapies for soul healing are framed in context of indigenous self determination. This creates space to privilege healing traditions housed within cultural worldviews, practices and knowledge(s). This assumes an ability to reclaim traditional healing knowledge that works at a spiritual level. Whakapapa is theorised as the pathway by which profound healing of the wounded spirit can be achieved. In this research, connection to whakapapa and a full consciousness of the divine (mauri) inside all indigenous peoples that connects us with each other provides a source of healing of the spirit through balancing the spiritual and physical elements of human existence. In order to test the relationship between historical trauma and the outcomes of spiritual suffering 182 years of history were researched in one discrete tribal group. Using whānau narratives three major trauma acts were identified. The whānau identified historical trauma as having contemporary outcomes and consequences for whakapapa/kinship relationships. They found the analysis of historical trauma to be empowering, bringing forth revelation knowledge and explaining inter-generational suffering. The explanatory power of historical trauma/soul and spiritual wounding made sense to them experientially, intuitively and intellectually.  This PhD recommends healing methods (and pathways) for indigenous professionals and para-professionals working with extensive trauma in their communities. Trauma narratives are reframed as imperatives and opportunities for spiritual/soul healing.
The impact of changes to the New Zealand aid policy on non-governmental organisations
Authors:   , Openko Valeria
Published: November 2021

The election of the National Party Government in 2008 led to a significant reshaping of the New Zealand aid programme. The changes became the subject of strong criticism from the New Zealand aid community in terms of the main policy underpinnings, funding schemes for (Non-Governmental Organisation) NGOs and the altered relationships between the government and development NGOs. While the literature reveals some critical observations about such changes, not much is known about the impacts of New Zealand’s Official Development Assistance (NZODA) policy on New Zealand development NGOs. This research aims to better understand the impacts of the changes to NZODA policy on the NGO sector to improve knowledge about the subject that could be applied in order to strengthen the long-term partnership and increase the effectiveness of NZODA. To achieve this goal twenty one New Zealand NGOs were interviewed regarding their views on the policy, impacts on NGO operations and policies, effects on in-country partners and relationships with the government. The criticisms of the aid community were also analysed and compared with the research findings. The research findings showed that the expressed views of NGOs indicted a wide variety of opinions on the policy changes and there was a diverse range of negative, neutral and sometimes positive views on the effects on NGOs. While the National Government’s policy agenda has dramatically affected development work of NGOs and their relationships with the government, NGO policies were less affected in some aspects. It is concluded that, whilst the relationship between the official government aid programme and the NGOs has been altered and adversely affected, there is still the basis for an effective partnership that can be reshaped and strengthened in future.
'Stolen from Its People and Wrenched from Its Roots'? A Study of the Crown's 1867 Acquisition of the Rongowhakaata Meeting House Te Hau ki Turanga
Authors:   , Waigth Kesaia L
Published: November 2021

Te Hau ki Tūranga is the oldest meeting house in existence. It was built in the early 1840s at Orakaiapu Pā, just south of Gisborne, by Ngāti Kaipoho (a hapū/subtribe of Rongowhakaata) chief Raharuhi Rukupō. In the nineteenth century whare whakairo (carved houses) were significant symbols of chiefly and tribal mana (prestige, control, power). They were 'carved histories', physical embodiments of tribal history and whakapapa (genealogy) representing a link between the living and the dead. In 1867 Native Minister J C Richmond acquired the whare on behalf of the government to augment the collections of the Colonial Museum in Wellington. Over the almost 150 years since the whare arrived in Wellington, the acquisition of Te Hau ki Tūranga has been the subject of three government inquiries and numerous Rongowhakaata requests for its return. It has also been dismantled and re–erected three times and housed in three different museum buildings. At the close of the twentieth century Rongowhakaata submitted a claim to the Waitangi Tribunal for the 'theft' of Te Hau ki Tūranga. Their claim also expressed concerns about the care and management of the whare in the hands of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and its predecessors. This thesis tells the story of Te Hau ki Tūranga from 1867 until the present. It asks: was the whare 'stolen from its people and wrenched from its roots'? as Rongowhakaata claim and places the story of Te Hau ki Tūranga in its historical context. It aims to understand the motives and agendas of the characters involved and reach a conclusion as to what most likely happened in 1867. This thesis also breaks new ground by examining the politics surrounding the whare as a museum exhibit and a Treaty of Waitangi claim. Overall this study provides a valuable insight into the history of Crown–Māori relations. It reveals why deep–seated grievances still exist among Māori today and demonstrates the value of the Treaty settlement process as an opportunity for Māori to tell their stories and gain redress for injustices that occurred in the past, but are still being felt in the present.
Neoliberalism, political action on climate change and the youth of Aotearoa New Zealand: a space for radical activism
Authors:   , Moon Emma
Published: November 2021

Climate change exists both as a symptom and as a cause of many social ills. It is as urgent as it is complex. Climate change is being addressed internationally through mechanisms heavily influenced by neoliberal globalisation and based around market mechanisms for the trading of carbon dioxide as a commodity, such as the Kyoto Protocol. This has contributed to increasing de-politicisation of the climate change issue. Contestation of neoliberal solutions to climate change has resulted in the birth of climate justice principles which unite action against the systemic causes of climate change. At the heart of action on climate change are young people- historically active citizens and advocates for radical change. In the context of de-politicisation and a post-political carbon consensus, young activists have been influenced by dominant neoliberal discourse. This research will explore the repercussions of a post-political carbon consensus in producing youth-led spaces of contestation in Aotearoa New Zealand. The case study for this research, youth-driven organisation Generation Zero, advocates for post-political carbon consensus by running campaigns on changes to the national Emissions Trading Scheme and other policy-based work. In this thesis, I will describe the extent to which young people within Generation Zero are influenced by the neoliberal discourse and the implications this has for the role of climate justice and radical activism. This research will contribute to the literature around the de-politicisation of climate change as it describes the impact that this has on youth activism and thus the opportunity for future spaces of dissent.
Tertiary teachers' motivation for choosing and remaining in teaching in a public university in Cambodia
Authors:   , Kim Dinath
Published: November 2021

The motivation of tertiary teachers in Cambodian higher education has not received much attention over the years. Specifically, very little is known about factors that motivate and de-motivate Cambodian tertiary teachers in choosing and remaining in their teaching careers. The purpose of the study is to investigate: 1) the factors which influenced teachers to choose teaching careers, 2) motivating and de-motivating factors associated with their teaching, and 3) motivations which may lead them to leave or stay in their teaching careers. It is important to examine the motivational factors that are influential for Cambodian university teachers in order to increase their teaching productivity so that the institutional effectiveness can be enhanced which will lead to improvement in the quality of Cambodia higher education. This research used a single exploratory case study within a qualitative methodology. The study was conducted at two departments in a typical public university in Cambodia. The data was collected through the implementation of one questionnaire that attracted 36 respondents and one semi-structured interview held with each of 8 volunteer participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyse interview data and open-ended questionnaire data. The findings of the study reveal that intrinsic factors were more important than extrinsic factors in influencing teacher motivation in becoming and remaining in teaching. However, extrinsic factors were de-motivating teachers in their teaching and may lead them to leave the profession. The findings are discussed in the context of some theories of motivation and previous empirical studies. Recommendations are made regarding strategies to be used and what further research can be undertaken to address the problem.
"Winning Hearts and Minds"? An Exploration of New Zealand Peacekeeping, Masculinities, and Identity in the Solomon Islands
Authors:   , Stevens Kiri
Published: November 2021

Close attention to the practices of masculinity, and individual negotiations of identity are often rendered invisible when exploring the implications of having soldiers engaged as peacekeepers in communities emerging from conflict. Using a feminist post-structural framework and qualitative interviews, I investigate whether involvement in peacekeeping is producing new gender and identity experiences for some New Zealand soldiers. Specifically, I explore the perceptions of two New Zealand Army Reserve Force soldiers who participated in the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands. Additionally, I engage with the reflections of seven Solomon Islanders to understand the impacts that these new understandings of gender and identity might have for conflict resolution and gender equality in local communities.  My research finds that the practices that soldiers value and consider most useful to be a successful soldier are changing as a result of their involvement in peacekeeping. New ideas about masculinity in the armed forces are being engendered by the need for soldiers to express a sense of equality and respect towards local people. The changing nature of soldering is resulting in the emergence of practices that offer alternatives and/or challenge hegemonic and racialized militarized masculinities over those more traditionally valued in the armed forces. However, at the same time, some soldiers continue to place value on practices associated with hegemonic militarized masculinities, such as a belief in the continued need to carry weapons to create security.  I further suggest that Solomon Islanders interpreted participating soldiers' behaviours through broader historical-cultural narratives about different countries forces and their perceived cultural sensitivity. Therefore, soldiers' everyday resistances to racial narratives and militarized masculinities were important for creating a sense of trust and respect with local residents. However, while some Solomon Islanders welcomed the sense of security that soldiers produced, the carrying of weapons by soldiers undermined local conflict resolution practices.  By focussing on men and masculinities, my research contributes to discussions about hegemonic and militarized masculinities in peacekeeping, and challenges ideas that see men, masculinities and other aspects of identity as static or unconnected to historical and social practices.