bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Logic of Appropriateness or Logic of Consequence? Competing Explanations for the OECD Campaign against Tax Havens
Authors:   , Wood Melinda
Published: November 2021

This thesis provides an alternative explanation to existing constructivist accounts of the OECD campaign against tax havens. It reinterprets the OECD project through a neoliberal institutionalist lens and offers a different take on each major historical development. It brings the narrative up to date, describing the events of the past two years and explaining the underlying causes in a manner consistent with the neoliberal reinterpretation. It finishes by considering what this account might predict for the future of tax information exchange. The thesis finds that transformative change happens in accordance with state interests rather than with identities and norms. International institutions fundamentally exist to advance the interests of their memberstates and will adapt their goals to reflect changing collective interests. States that are coerced to change their behaviour can be expected to comply only to the extent required to avoid sanctions.
Perspectives on Developing a Music Therapy Programme Within an Educational Setting for Adolescents with Mental Health Issues
Authors:   , Young John-Paul
Published: November 2021

This thesis outlines exploratory research that sought to find out how music therapy could most effectively address the needs of the students and support the ideas and learning objectives of staff at an innovative new school for adolescents with mental health issues. This was achieved by involving staff and students (n=12) in a series of group interviews, in combination with reflections from a research journal. Amongst other things, the findings suggested that students valued the opportunity to learn new musical skills, relax and express themselves. The staff appeared to value the way music therapy could support therapeutic and educational objectives within the school; for instance, by providing students with opportunities to work together in small groups, or by providing individual students with a way of relaxing and experiencing success. The writer describes efforts to tailor music therapy to fit with the needs of the setting and concludes by suggesting possible avenues for future music therapy research in a setting of this kind.
Evaluation of Appreciative Inquiry Interventions
Authors:   , Stellnberger Martin
Published: November 2021

As a relatively new tool for organization development, action research, training and team building, Appreciative Inquiry (AI) has gained popularity worldwide (Messerschmidt, 2008). Whilst much research has addressed the approach and its philosophy, AI still remains an approach with little self-reflection or critique (Grant & Humphries, 2006). It has been suggested that evaluation of past AI interventions is needed to inform managerial action in conducting future interventions and contribute to the literature on AI (Dunlap, 2008).  In this thesis, three large-scale AI interventions (between 130 and 320 participants in the summit) were evaluated. Three organizations operating in New Zealand and Australia agreed to participate in this research. Across these three organizations, data were collected through 23 semi-structured interviews of employees who were involved in the AI summit. Evaluation of these interventions was carried out by comparing the findings of the interviews with the intended goals and outcomes for each organization in initially performing an AI summit. In addition, the findings were contrasted with the existing literature on AI and recommendations for future implementations are made.  This research shows that the interviewees across the three organizations consistently reflected very positively on the AI summit. They commonly used words like 'fun', 'great', 'amazing', 'exciting', 'energizing', 'motivating' and 'making you feel special' to describe the event. Particularly, the involvement of a diverse group of people (co-workers from different management levels, customers, suppliers, external partners, etc.) in the summit was highly appreciated by the interviewees.  While the literature puts a great emphasis on the AI summit and the planning of the event, the findings indicate that the things that happen post the summit are at least as important as the actual summit itself. Two out of three organizations appear to have underestimated the importance of what should happen after the event and ultimately failed in integrating AI into their organizational processes or capturing significant benefits following the AI summit. In contrast, the third organization put a strong emphasis on planning actions that followed the summit and consequently managed to make AI part of their way of operating.
Phylogeny, Connectivity and Dispersal Patterns of the Giant Kelp Macrocystis (Phaeophyceae)
Authors:   , Macaya Horta Erasmo Carlos
Published: November 2021

Macrocystis represents the most widely distributed kelp genus, providing structure and energy for one of the most productive ecosystems on earth. Despite its ecological and economical importance, many aspects of its taxonomy, distribution and dispersal still remain unknown. Using different molecular markers I studied the taxonomy, phylogeography and dispersal patterns of Macrocystis. The analysis involves samples from different populations throughout the world. Using the DNA barcoding method I, confirmed previous suggestions that the genus must be considered as monospecific, M. pyrifera being the only species. The effects of historical and contemporary events on the haplotype distribution were determined by analyzing samples from the southeastern Pacific (SEP) using the atp8-S mitochondrial marker. The last glacial maximum as well as oceanographic anomalies (El Niño phenomena) may be important factors driving the genetic pattern along the SEP. The genetic structure in southern Chile was also analyzed in more detail, especially in the Chilean Fjords. Samples from attached and floating kelp individuals revealed that dispersal via kelp rafts is possible. Finally, a global analysis using COI sequences showed shared haplotypes along vast distances in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, recent dispersal and high gene flow can explain such genetic homogeneity. Additionally, microsatellite analysis confirmed that gene flow along the Southern Ocean is occurring over ecological time scales, where rafting of detached reproductive kelps seems to be facilitated by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current connecting populations in the Southern Hemisphere. This study has provided valuable genetic evidence to understand factors shaping the genetic structure of this important ecologically and economically species. It also contributes important knowledge for conservation and management strategies, especially in places where M. pyrifera has been harvested. In summary, the results of this study confirm previous suggestions of high gene flow among M. pyrifera populations at different scales. It also provides evidence suggesting that kelp rafts act as an important dispersal mechanism in this species, thus giving important information to understand the factors shaping the evolution of the largest seaweed on earth.
Collateral Damage: A Mixed Methods Study to Investigate the Use and Withdrawal of Antidepressants Within a Naturalistic Population
Authors:   , Thrasher Susan
Published: November 2021

The use of modern antidepressants has flourished over the past few decades with the modern attribution of affective disorders such as depression to biomedical causation. However, recent re-examination of clinical trials has raised questions regarding antidepressant drug efficacy, and issues around side effects and dependency are prevalent. In spite of this, as many as 10% of us may be taking these medications (Szabo, 2009). This study examines responses to an anonymous online survey about antidepressant use and withdrawal. Participants included 176 current users, 181 currently withdrawing, 108 ex-users, and a control group of 44 participants who had never used antidepressants. Participant groups were compared quantitatively regarding attitude towards antidepressants use and perceived value, effect on well-being and mood, symptoms and side effects, and their perceived changes in themselves on and off the drugs. Participants were also given the opportunity to include spontaneous comments at the end of the survey which were analysed thematically. Key findings include: 1) Antidepressant users have a more positive estimation of the value of the drugs than those who have discontinued the drugs or who have never used them; 2) Scores on the WHO-5 well-being survey for all three groups with antidepressant experience (users, those withdrawing, and ex-users) showed poor levels of wellbeing, suggesting that neither antidepressant therapy nor cessation of antidepressant therapy were adequate interventions to create positive well-being; 3) Multivariate analysis of participant responses revealed a significant difference between the four groups on 35 of 37 physical and emotional symptoms associated with antidepressant use or withdrawal, with the never-used group scored the lowest in all cases except one, and the withdrawing group scoring the highest for 27 of the symptoms; 4) Concern over antidepressant dependency and withdrawal was the most prevalent topic reported by all user groups in spontaneous comments; other key themes included frustration with side effects and lack of information and support from the medical profession; 5) study results suggest that antidepressant withdrawal may take longer and be more challenging than the assumed "mild", "self-limiting" and "resolving spontaneously…three weeks after onset" (Haddad & Anderson, 2007); and 6) 30% of ex-users spontaneously reported what they believed were adverse drug reactions, or withdrawal reactions, months or years after antidepressant use had ceased, a long-term iatrogenic disablement that has yet to be addressed in the literature. Overall, the study reveals that antidepressants are not an adequate intervention to create positive well-being in patients and their use comes with a substantial risk of unpleasant side effects, dependency, and the potential for residual post-drug health complications.
The Microstructure and Rheology of Complex Fluids Containing Na-caseinate
Authors:   , Tan Hui Lin
Published: November 2021

Emulsions are widely utilised in commercial environments, such as in the food and cosmetic industries. In their simplest form, emulsions are a system consisting of two immiscible liquids in the presence of emulsifiers. To form an emulsion, an input of energy is required. In this thesis, Na-caseinate was used as the emulsifier and three systems were studied: soybean oil/Na-caseinate/water, palm oil/Na-caseinate/water and tetradecane/Nacaseinate/ water. Four main techniques were used to characterise the stabilised emulsions: laser diffraction particle sizing, PGSTE-NMR, rheology and cryo-SEM. Emulsion systems are extremely complex making control and predictability over their phase behaviour practically difficult. This is because the required overall characteristics of these colloids are strongly dependent on both the energy of formulation and the choice of an appropriate combination of emulsifier, dispersed phase and continuous phase. A full understanding of the microstructure, stability and physicochemical properties of caseinatestabilised emulsions has as yet not been achieved. For example, how does caseinate selfassembly control emulsion stability? How do concentrated caseinate-based emulsions differ from dilute ones and how do the different oils (food grade oils vs. straight chain hydrocarbon) affect the formation of emulsions? The aim of this PhD programme was to obtain data to allow a better fundamental understanding of the underlying parameters defining emulsion behaviour to be obtained ...
Teaching a Multi-Step Requesting Sequence to Two Adolescents with Autism Using an iPod-based Speech Generating Device
Authors:   , Achmadi Donna Adorina
Published: November 2021

Many children with autism fail to develop speech and are therefore candidates for the use of speech-generating devices (SGDs). However, existing studies are limited because they have tended to focus only on teaching an initial single-step requesting sequence. This thesis aimed to extend the existing literature by evaluating intervention procedures for teaching two adolescents with autism to perform multistep requesting sequences that required navigating across two screen pages (Intervention 1). Intervention 2 focused on teaching the adolescents to turn on and unlock the screen of the SGD prior to initiating the previously learnt multi-step requesting sequence. Both interventions made use of response prompting, prompt fading, and differential reinforcement procedures and were evaluated using the multiple-baseline across subjects design. Results showed that both interventions were effective in teaching these adolescents to use the iPod Touch(R) to make a sequence of requests. The results of the present study suggest that adolescents with autism can successfully learn to use an iPod Touch(R) to independently perform multi-step requesting sequences.
Monte Carlo Valuation of Corporate Bonds Using Price Data
Authors:   , Patel Nimesh
Published: November 2021

Corporate debt securities play a large part in financial markets and hence accurate modeling of the prices of these securities is integral. Ericsson and Reneby (2005) state that the corporate bond market in the US doubled between 1995 and 2005 and is now larger than the market for US treasuries. Although the theoretical corporate bond pricing literature is vast, very little empirical research to test the effectiveness of these models has been published. Corporate bond pricing models are split into two families of models. The first, are the structural models which endogenise default by modeling it as an event that may eventuate due to the insolvency of the underlying firm. The second family of models is the newer class of reduced-form models that exogenise default by modeling it as some random process (default intensity). The reduced-form models have been formulated largely due to the empirical failures of the structural family to accurately model prices and spreads. However as Ericsson and Reneby (2005) point out, an inadequate estimation approach may explain the poor performance of the structural models. Structural models are, therefore, the focus of this paper. We, however, do estimate a reduced-form model in order to make a comparison between the two types of model. There are no published papers (to my knowledge) in which both types of model are implemented ...
Canons, Airs Sérieux and Airs à Boire: A Study of the Contribution of the Eighteenth-Century French Composer and Copyist C. de La Serre.
Authors:   , Dillon Teressa
Published: November 2021

C. de La Serre was a composer, copyist and maître de musique. His known compositions are all airs sérieux and airs à boire, appearing in printed sources and manuscripts between 1716 and 1724. His individual collection, Recueil d’airs nouveaux sérieux et à boire (1724) provides the most complete picture of his achievements as a composer, as it exhibits the largest number of his songs in a single volume. Another side of La Serre’s musical activity is also considered in the present study, as it includes the examination of selections from the manuscript F-CECm/Ms. 282, of which he was the copyist. The distinguishing characteristic of this manuscript is its collection of canons, which may be the largest of its kind. La Serre’s own music is included in F-CECm/Ms. 282, along with airs by composers such as Jean-Baptiste de Bousset, François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau. This thesis places canons, airs sérieux and airs à boire composed by La Serre and other prominent songwriters of the period within the social context of the French Regency, and the context of the genres at the beginning of the eighteenth century. The conventions of verse and music are also considered in relation to specific airs of the printed collection and the manuscript. A catalogue of La Serre’s Recueil d’airs nouveaux sérieux et à boire and the edited selections of F-CECm/Ms. 282 is also included. Volume II comprises a critical edition of La Serre’s 1724 collection and selections from the manuscript.
State Estimation and Smoothing for the Probability Hypothesis Density Filter
Authors:   , Hernandez Sergio I.
Published: November 2021

Tracking multiple objects is a challenging problem for an automated system, with applications in many domains. Typically the system must be able to represent the posterior distribution of the state of the targets, using a recursive algorithm that takes information from noisy measurements. However, in many important cases the number of targets is also unknown, and has also to be estimated from data. The Probability Hypothesis Density (PHD) filter is an effective approach for this problem. The method uses a first-order moment approximation to develop a recursive algorithm for the optimal Bayesian filter. The PHD recursion can implemented in closed form in some restricted cases, and more generally using Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods. The assumptions made in the PHD filter are appealing for computational reasons in real-time tracking implementations. These are only justifiable when the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of a single target is high enough that remediates the loss of information from the approximation. Although the original derivation of the PHD filter is based on functional expansions of belief-mass functions, it can also be developed by exploiting elementary constructions of Poisson processes. This thesis presents novel strategies for improving the Sequential Monte Carlo implementation of PHD filter using the point process approach. Firstly, we propose a post-processing state estimation step for the PHD filter, using Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods for mixture models. Secondly, we develop recursive Bayesian smoothing algorithms using the approximations of the filter backwards in time. The purpose of both strategies is to overcome the problems arising from the PHD filter assumptions. As a motivating example, we analyze the performance of the methods for the difficult problem of person tracking in crowded environments
Husbandry of the Carnivorous Land Snail, Powelliphanta augusta (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Rhytdidae)
Authors:   , Allan Thomas Edward
Published: November 2021

Key aspects of the captive husbandry of Powelliphanta augusta, a newly-described New Zealand land snail are investigated: how they should be managed and fed to provide individuals for release, and how a long-term captive population can be maintained as an insurance against extinction in the wild. This project arises from almost all members of this species having been brought into captivity due to their displacement in the wild by an opencast coalmine. Powelliphanta (F: Rhytididae) is a genus of endemic carnivorous snails, which includes 10 species, 27 subspecies and numerous undescribed taxa. As well as its diversity, Powelliphanta is renowned for the large size of its members (up to 90mm diameter) and their attractively-patterned shells. Most taxa are threatened due to habitat loss and predation by introduced mammalian predators. The study commences with a literature review to refine husbandry methods and to assess requirements for captive breeding of snails. From this review investigations are made into stocking densities, substrate, reproductive biology, body condition and growth of the P. augusta captive population. To determine an appropriate stocking density for P. augusta groups of six snails were kept at two densities; with either 720cm2, or 1440cm2 per group. Survival and weight gain were compared over 52 weeks. There was no difference in weight gain between treatments, but survival was significantly reduced at the highest density. The agent responsible for mortality was not identified, but previous studies on snails implicate disease. The effect of calcium supplementation on reproductive output was assessed by introducing limestone chip to the captive substrate of sphagnum moss. The experiment was aborted after eight months because of the apparently lethal effects of treatment. Egg production during this time was negligible, probably due to the lack of appropriate environmental cues. P. augusta showed evidence of size-specific fecundity, with a significant increase in clutch size with parental shell volume. Size-specific fecundity is predicted to cause size-assortative mating, but experiments determined that mate-choice is random with respect to shell size.Body condition was studied using the residuals from a regression of mass and size at time of capture. Condition in the wild showed strong seasonal variation, with a high in December and January. Body condition in captive snails remained stable, at a level equivalent to the peak of condition in the wild. The growth of captive snails was modeled using a Gompertz curve. Using a 30mm shell diameter as a reproductive indicator, snails hatching in captivity are predicted to reach maturity in approximately eight years. The study concludes by discussing the implications of the research for husbandry. Updates and expansions to the analyses are suggested, as well as methods for effectively monitoring the captive population.
Sophisticated Mediators: New Zealand-Born Samoan First-Time Mothers and Strategies for Their Health and Wellbeing
Authors:   , Churchward Marianna Ellen
Published: November 2021

This thesis explores the experiences of four New Zealand-born Samoan first time mothers during pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood living in Wellington. The impetus for this research arose from findings that showed a considerable variation in the prevalence of postnatal depression between Samoan women (7.6%), Tongan women (30.9%) and others (20% for all New Zealand mothers). Qualitative, face-to-face individual interviews were conducted within a qualitative feminist framework. The two interviews with each woman were conducted during the last trimester of their pregnancy (28+weeks gestation); and 12 months post-birth. The thesis drew upon the four-element model – Epistemology, Theoretical Perspective, Methodology and Methods to provide a framework to conceptualise and clarify the foundation for this research project. Thus the thesis is best described as a feminist phenomenological social constructionist approach. The findings revealed the women of this study were „Sophisticated Mediators‟ who, although faced with many challenges throughout their pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood experiences, mediated successfully between, and within, existing cultural and belief systems i.e. Samoan traditional values and New Zealand cultural system; to acquire or maintain resilience toward depressive symptoms during early motherhood. Support structures such as family, in particular mothers, proved to be a vital source of support for the women. Recommendations arising from the research are targeted at support providers and family members and this is discussed in detail. Antenatal care was important although antenatal classes not so; conversely, the women were high adopters of technology in the form of the internet to access information. It is vital for support providers to recognise the high regard the women had for the internet as a source of valuable and easily accessible information, and utilise those avenues more to provide information that will complement or improve the existing support structures. During the antenatal period, women should be encouraged to develop or strengthen relationships with a significant female who will be with them throughout the childbirth and early motherhood process.
Leadership Styles: A Comparative Analysis of PTD Officers and DG Officers in the Ministry of Education Malaysia
Authors:   , Norwawi Shahrizal
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this study is to explore the leadership styles of middle level managers working in the Ministry of Education Malaysia. The middle level managers in this research are restricted to those from the Administrative and Diplomatic Officers Scheme of service (PTD: Skim Pegawai Tadbir dan Diplomatik) and Education Officers Scheme of service (DG: Skim Pegawai Perkhidmatan Pendidikan Siswazah/Bukan Siswazah). Leadership style, in this study, is defined as the extent to which a leader exhibits transformational, transactional and/or laissez-faire styles of leadership. This study adopts a mixed methods approach in helping to elicit information pertaining to the leadership styles of the PTD and DG middle level managers. A Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) 5x rater form is used in the quantitative strand while the qualitative part of this study utilises a standardised open-ended interview approach. A total of 122 respondents working in ten departments in the Ministry of Education answered the questionnaire while eight middle level managers (four PTD and four DG middle level managers) were interviewed. The results of both of the quantitative and qualitative strands indicate that the PTD and DG middle level managers showed more transformational leadership styles as compared to transactional leadership styles. In addition, the t-test reveals that the two groups of middle level managers do not show any significant differences in terms of their leadership styles. The findings also indicate that there were no significant differences in the perceptions of the overall transformational, transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles of the PTD middle level managers as perceived by their subordinates from different schemes of service. However, the same could not be said of DG middle level managers as their overall transformational as well as laissez-faire leadership styles indicate significant differences as perceived by subordinates from different schemes of service. This study will benefit the Malaysian public sector in understanding the different styles of leadership among middle level managers working in government organization. More specifically, this study is useful for understanding the similarities and differences of leadership styles of the DG and PTD middle level managers working in the Ministry of Education Malaysia.
Leadership Development Return on Investment: The Influence of Followership
Authors:   , Harris Mark
Published: November 2021

In this research paper the role of followers in a leader's development is explored. The research findings show that leadership development remains a “slippery” subject and in spite of all the commitment made by organisations to develop leadership, the return on this investment, as viewed by followers is poor. Even though followers are the indirect recipients of leadership development and without them the role of leader does not exist, they are largely excluded from the process. Leaders see the important contribution they could have if provided the opportunity. Moreover, the development of followership is not evident even though both followers and leaders alike see the critical role of followership in a leader's success. The focus of leadership and followership is dominated by the leader's views. While not researching sensemaking in depth, this research presents evidence that the sensemaking of followers is accurate, insightful and meaningful. The research begins to explore the reasons for the low return on leadership development and highlights harmful aspects that can arise where care is not taken to consider a leader's maturity and situational context. The research shows how organisations are not actively encouraging authenticity and inner development of followers. Where this occurs it is largely a passive process and takes place through mimicry. Given the imbalance of resource allocation to be almost totally to the benefit of leadership, authenticity awareness and development is seen to be reserved for those that desire the title of leader. Finally, the research suggests that implementing followership development in a similar way to that which occurs in leadership would be positive although limiting. The current commoditisation of leadership results from the way mainstream thinking considers the leader's role and encourages a relational and dualistic view between the leader and follower. This view does not align to the everyday experience of people who share conversation, who create meaning together and who together help construct the leader role.
Mapping the Industrial Relations System of Samoa: An Assessment of Industrial Democracy and Employee Participation in Employment Relations Decisions in a Pacific Island Nation.
Authors:   , Ah Chong-Fruean Patricia
Published: November 2021

This thesis maps out the industrial relations system of Samoa with specific emphasis on industrial democracy and employee participation in the making of rules and decisions affecting worker's employment. The thesis outlines the impacts of the environmental contexts, social, political, legal and economic, of Samoan society on the scope and nature of industrial relations in Samoa. Using data collected through face-to-face interviews, workshop observation and the analysis of various secondary documents that include for example, the study of industrial relations in the South Pacific nations by Prasad, Hince, & Snell (2003) and several country reports and national policies on employment relations, the thesis utilises Dunlop's (1958) systems model of industrial relations to describe the employer, employee and state relationship within the system and their varying roles in the determination of workplace rules.  Dunlop's systems model enables the researcher to identify a strong link between the industrial relations system and the social institutions of Samoan society that are structured around the fa'asamoa (Samoan customs and traditions) and the fa'amatai (chiefly) systems of social justice and traditional rule making. Dunlop's model (which suggests that the 'rule' is the fundamental goal of an industrial relations system) enables identification of the prevailing processes that employer, employee, state and their representing agencies use to determine the rules in the Samoan workplace. It suggests that while the worker (union) is considered to be one of the key actors' in the establishment of workplace rules, the nature and scope of union participation and influence on industrial relations decisions in Samoa do not reflect this: in the sense that unions play virtually no role in Samoa's industrial relations system. The thesis also attempts to uncover the 'shared ideology' that prescribes and defines the actors' roles, prestige, power and influence on the process of rule making in Samoa's IR system.  In doing so it finds that Samoan government is the dominant player in industrial relations in the sense that the government can unilaterally make decisions and rules regarding employment relations both at the organisational and national level, without the involvement of employers and workers. While employee participation in employment decisions is clearly affected by economic, technological and market constraints, other factors relating to the culturally nuanced concepts of 'respect', 'loyalty' and 'trust' toward those who hold significant power and authority appear to be predominant influences in the determination of rules in all facets of Samoan society. This particular condition of the Samoan system of industrial relations is explained with reference to Dunlop's notion of 'shared ideology' and the 'locus and distribution of power' within wider society.
Nuremberg Revisited in Burma? An Assessment of the Potential Liability of Transnational Corporations and Their Officials in Burma under International Criminal Law
Authors:   , Johnson Navis Mary Ann
Published: November 2021

This dissertation focuses on the role played by officials of transnational corporations and transnational corporations themselves in the situation in Burma. The main aim of this dissertation is to assess the liability of officials of transnational corporations in Burma and transnational corporations in Burma for crimes against humanity such as slave labour and for war crimes such as plunder under International Criminal Law. However at present transnational corporations cannot be prosecuted under International Criminal Law as the International Criminal Court only has jurisdiction to try natural persons and not legal persons. In doing this analysis the theory of complicity, actus reus of aiding and abetting and the mens rea of aiding and abetting in relation to officials of transnational corporations will be explored and analysed to assess the liability of these officials in Burma. In doing this analysis the jurisprudence of inter alia the Nuremberg cases, the cases decided by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) will be used. This dissertation also examines the problems associated with suing or prosecuting transnational corporations due to the legal personality of transnational corporations and the structure of transnational corporations. At the end of the dissertation some recommendations are made so as to enable transnational corporations to be more transparent and accountable under the law.
Whakarongo: Listening to the Kāpiti Coast Community Social Services Sector in Challenging Times
Authors:   , Hutcheson Samantha Anne Harding
Published: November 2021

This research focuses on the Kāpiti Coast District community social services sector, exploring their experience of the 2008 economic and central government social policy changes. The recession and changing social policies increased pressure on the sector, at the same time as they were responding to increased stress and uncertainty in their communities. The research became an opportunity to give voice to the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector. The research was undertaken from a constructionist perspective, using critical inquiry and case study approaches. The research is presented in an approachable way, as it is hoped that the learning will be used by both the community sector and local government to help improve the way they work together. After setting the scene, the methodology used to listen to the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector is explained. The focus then moves onto the sector. Next, the themes that emerged from the data collected during the research are explored. To increase understanding of these themes, a number of theoretical perspectives are used, which have been selected across a range of disciplines, drawing most strongly on the social work discipline. The voice of the participants has been given primacy at all times; which is in line with the intention of the research, which is to empower the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector. It was helpful to delve into the triangle of relationships: the community social services sector, central and local government, and understand these relationships better. The way that the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector perceives itself, and how it works together and with others, proved a very interesting area of research. The research concludes that listening to the sector on their own terms is a way of addressing the power imbalance and an important step in improving the relationship between the sector and local government. Creating a bridge between the sectors can enable good place-based work to occur to improve social wellbeing in the Kāpiti Coast communities.
Kicking Round Home: Atonality in the Bone People
Authors:   , Kennedy Anne
Published: November 2021

This thesis considers the role that musical atonality plays in Keri Hulme's the bone people, and explores the ways in which an atonal reading can suggest interpretations for the novel 's cultural location. From a survey of the interdisciplinary study of music-inliterature as a method, three criteria for analysing music in the bone people are identified - narratology, symbology and sound-interpretation. The thesis traces the sometimes-intersecting histories of both Maori and Pakeha music. It considers how instances of atonality in the bone people relocate Maori singing, in function and to some extent in form, to the page. A survey of critical readings shows how the bone people has often been assigned intentions of biculturalism. This thesis challenges that notion and asserts that Hulme transforms cultural ingredients of both Maori and Pakeha in an atonal space, and re-imagines them in a Maori framework.
Structural Dissonance, Enacted Hope and Initial Early Childhood Teacher Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand
Authors:   , Hannigan Bradley Robert John
Published: November 2021

This thesis argues that there is structural dissonance in university-based initial early childhood teacher education programmes in Aotearoa/New Zealand, and suggests a pedagogy of enacted hope as a countermeasure. In this thesis, structural dissonance is constructed as a form of structural violence, which is based on the contradiction between socioculturalism in the content of IECTE programmes and individualisation in the context in which they are provided. This theoretical thesis uses Richard Rorty’s (1979, 1982, 1989, 1999) neo-pragmatic assumptions on truth, reality and knowledge to provide a coherent and consistent approach to the argument of structural dissonance and enacted hope. Distinctions between truth and justification, reality and appearance, found and made are rejected, and utility for social justice, language use, and an ironist approach to scholarship are adopted. This thesis uses philosophical hermeneutics as a methodology for interpreting the textual sources that make up the data drawn upon in this thesis. This methodology is linked to interpretive scholarship, research bricolage, and the constructivist paradigm in qualitative research. The methods used in this thesis are an ecological hermeneutic, ideal type method (converted into an interpretive method of textual analysis) and focus groups of student teachers. This thesis constructed two ideal types. The ideal type for socioculturalism is used to argue that the content of IECTE programmes is heavily influenced by socioculturalism. The ideal type for individualisation is used to argue that the context in which IECTE programmes are provided reproduces individualisation. Socioculturalism and individualisation are shown to be dissonant in the structure of a case IECTE programme in Aotearoa/New Zealand resulting in a situation of structural dissonance. A pedagogy of enacted hope is then proposed to counteract structural dissonance in the case study IECTE programme in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This pedagogy is constructed using a theory of hope developed through the integration of Ernst Bloch’s (1986) philosophy of hope, Rortyan philosophical assumptions and enactivist learning theory. Implications of using the pedagogy of enacted hope are then discussed in relation to the problem of structural dissonance.
Assessment of the Reinforcing Properties of Orally Administered MDMA ('Ecstasy') in Rats
Authors:   , Hely Lincoln S.
Published: November 2021

The so-called “party drug” 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, or ecstasy) may share many of the addictive properties common to other CNS stimulants. In humans MDMA is primarily consumed orally in one more pills per session. However, animal research has mostly focused on examining the effects of MDMA as a function of other routes of administration. Route of administration can have profound effects on the subjective and reinforcing properties of drugs of abuse. This thesis assessed the locomotor-activating and reinforcing properties of MDMA when delivered orally. MDMA-induced hyperlocomotion was used to examine magnitude of response and onset of action as a function of ip, sc and oral administration. Significant route-dependant effects were found with ip producing higher locomotor activity than sc and oral respectively. Onset of action was slower for subcutaneous administration compared with both ip and oral administration. The reinforcing properties of MDMA were examined by use of the self-administration procedure. Oral MDMA self-administration was firstly examined using simple schedules of reinforcement as a function of two different vehicle substrates, water (under water deprivation) and saccharin. Oral MDMA maintained responding and reliable dose-response curves were obtained under both water and saccharin vehicle conditions. However, both saccharin and water vehicle conditions also acted as strong reinforcers in these studies. Further studies utilising a behavioural economic approach were conducted in order to delineate the reinforcing effects of MDMA from that of its parent vehicle. In addition, demand-curve analysis using both the Linear-Elasticity model (Hursh et al., 1988, 1989) and the Exponential Model of Demand (Hursh & Silberberg, 2008) were compared in order to evaluate each model and assess the relative reinforcing efficacy of oral MDMA. Demand curves for the oral self-administration of MDMA revealed that responding for MDMA was more elastic (lower Pmax) than responding for saccharin-alone indicating that saccharin functioned as stronger reinforcer than did MDMA+saccharin. The results of these studies provide evidence for the positive-reinforcing effects of MDMA when it is delivered via the oral route of administration, however, the relative reinforcing efficacy of orally delivered MDMA appears to be low.
Reactivating Dynamic Architecture: A Strategy to Inject Relevant Bodily Imagery Back into Architecture
Authors:   , Gesterkamp Claire
Published: November 2021

The building-body analogy, which used to be crucial in the designing of buildings, to the exception of a few, is fading. This broken link leaves us with a melancholic yearning; a sense of loss. Reactivating Dynamic Architecture readdresses the use of the body in architecture by the application of an intervening design process. The processes we undertake in order to design architecture are too often assumed, and go unchallenged. In this thesis the design process is seen as a protagonist for change. Representation, both architectural and artistic, is a central theme as the thesis guides images of the human body through abstraction. Both the dynamic body and fragmented body are investigated for their potential to create a relevant expression for the human condition. Dalibor Vesely’s theory of the positive fragment is identified as a way forward for bodily fragmentation, and Analytical Cubism, which resonated with this theory, is explored. The thesis initially moves through the investigation of historical interpretations of the body before drawing on contemporary theory. Past depictions of the fragmented and dynamic body are assessed in order to establish what they can offer us for future analysis. A representational mode is established, based on Cubism’s methods, from here the transition from drawings to architecture begins. Rowe and Slutzky’s text Transparency: Literal and Phenomenal is used to unravel the intricacies of Le Corbusier’s Villa at Garches, and their reading of this building is used to channel a successful conversion process. The resulting architecture was created as a trial of the strategy and is posed as an expression, or speculation, for what can be achieved through this method. Three different scale interventions are explored within the chosen site of Ava Train Station, Wellington. Carlo Scarpa’s techniques guide the last transition to architecture, as his processes are recognised for their ability to fold meaning into design. The described design process gathers complexity as it gains momentum; there is much to negotiate through the realms of bodily perception, modern art and architectural representation. However, the architectural expression carries that density of meaning in a simple expression
Tailorizing Taylorism: to Investigate the Principles of Taylorism and How They Can Inform the Design of a Contemporary Movement Efficient Dwelling
Authors:   , Gasson Lauren Maire
Published: November 2021

Despite contemporary social activities changing drastically at the turn of the twenty-first century, residential layouts have not changed. This thesis takes the position that dwellings should be designed to facilitate movement efficiency and be moulded around our daily routine. This study seeks to investigate how the contemporary dwelling can adopt Taylorism’s principals from the commercial industry, to facilitate movement efficiency in the home. The research will further look at micro architecture as a contemporary manifestation of Taylorism and use it as an architectural precedent. From the investigation, this research helped formulate a brief for a contemporary method of designing, in which the architect views the individual’s routine as a production process to be refined and optimized. The study preformed ethnographic studies on a three individuals whom wanted their home to be an instrument for their living. One study was chosen to analyze. From the study of the individual’s inhabitation, a prototype was designed around the ecology of objects used in their routine. This became a fundamental step in the brief. Once the prototype is created it was revealed that the architect would have an excellent understanding of how their individual dwelled, and therefore could use the prototype to design an efficient routine. Through the method of interrogating and stripping back the individual’s inhabitation, this process helped redefine the architect’s role and approach to designing contemporary dwelling. The dwelling created using the brief was entirely customized and facilitates every aspect of the client’s contemporary routine.
Reconciling Amenity and Intensification in New Zealand's Coastal Suburbs: An Island Bay Case Study
Authors:   , Raynes Andrew James Robert
Published: November 2021

With the global and national populations predicted to increase, the location of new residences provides a planning challenge. Intensification of existing areas has been identified as an alternative to urban sprawl (constant development at the edges of cities), but it has been suggested that opposition to intensification is greatest in desirable locations. As a result, this thesis examines how the tension between amenity and intensification can be overcome to allow for future growth in New Zealand’s coastal suburbs. A review of the existing research indicates a gap exists in the literature regarding the suburban coast, so a study of national and international coastal suburbs was conducted in order to develop an understanding of patterns and relationships within these areas. A survey of international suburbs examines the relationships between housing types and density, in order to identify the potential that different housing types offer to an intensification project. A design case study located in Wellington’s Island Bay applies and tests the findings of the previous chapters. The research finds that rather than an inherent tension existing between amenity and intensification, intensification has significant potential to increase amenity when planned at an urban scale, and that this may be best applied around a public waterfront. While the research presents a set of design guidelines to assist in the reconciliation of amenity and intensification, further research needs to be conducted into the mechanics of implementing such a scheme, especially with regard to its economic and community acceptance aspects.