bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vietnamese response to the Sino-Russian cooperation and rivalry since the end of the Cold War
Authors:   , Tran Dung Cong
Published: November 2021

A thesis presented on the Vietnamese response to the changes in the Sino-Russian relations since the end of the Cold War, beginning with an overview of the Sino-Russian relations during and after the Cold War, with an emphasis on the changes in the Sino-Russian relations, covering the overview of Vietnam’s relations with both Russia and China during the Cold War and the impact of the Sino-Russian relations on Viet Nam. Especially Vietnam’s reactions to the changes in the Sino-Russian relations since the end of the Cold War from the perspective of small and middle power’s foreign policy as well as policy recommendations for Viet Nam in order to balance its relations with both Russia and China to exploit the potentials and deepen its relations with these two countries for the objectives of security, development and influence of Viet Nam.
Library requirements of Masters of Art (Creative Writing) students : is the class library of the International Institute of Modern Letters meeting their information needs?
Authors:   , Callaghan Samantha April
Published: November 2021

To investigate whether the Class Library of the International Institute of Modern Letters was meeting the information needs of the students in the Master of Arts (Creative Writing) an exploratory research approach was used. A sequential mixed methodology study comprised of a questionnaire, with both quantitative and qualitative content, to canvass student responses as well as interviews with the Institute's students, its teaching staff, and the Collection Development Librarian of the Victoria University of Wellington Central Library. The findings showed that students made significant use of the Class Library, often in preference to the University Library. This usage was based on factors such as collection quality, proximity to the Institute, accessibility of the collection and the availability of reading material.   Library anxiety experienced when using the Central Library is another probable factor. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the Institute retain the Class Library as an autonomous collection and not integrate it into the collection of the Victoria University of Wellington Central Library.
Approaches to 'place': A study exploring how New Zealand's digital collections conceptualise our social understanding of space
Authors:   , Feltham Flora
Published: November 2021

Research problem: The concept of ‘place’ has a clear presence in New Zealand’s digital heritage collections. However, some theorists suggest there is gap between place as a concept relevant to cultural heritage concerns and place as represented by digital technology. This research explores how geospatial and digital technology deployed in New Zealand’s digital collections engage with and conceptualise qualities usually associated with place: social bonds, emotional attachment and subjectivity.  Methodology: This two-stage, mixed-methods study has a qualitative weighting. Web Content analysis (WebCA) gathered data from digital collections that demonstrate place inclusive features. An anonymous survey gathered opinions from practitioners who create place-inclusive digital collections. Descriptive statistics developed during quantitative analysis triangulated findings developed during thematic qualitative analysis.  Results: New Zealand’s digital collections generate a sense-of-place using strategies that mimic subjective and experience-based understanding of the world. Some collections also engage with place in its ‘common-sense wrapper’ by using the deploying the place in a metadata context or as an overarching thematic structure. New Zealand’s cultural heritage practitioners are very practice-oriented in their consideration of place, and place-inclusive collections are most often impacted by resourcing issues.  Implications: This project contributes to the growing ‘body of sustained critical thinking’ focusing on the implications of digital technology for cultural heritage concerns. It suggests place has considerable value and multiple functions within digital heritage collections. When conducting projects using geospatial technology, heritage practitioners can consider supplementing geospatial technology with user-contribution features, content variety, and an emphasis on storytelling to effectively reflect the subjective components of place.
Incidental findings in human subjects research: Is ignorance really bliss?
Authors:   , Brown Hannah
Published: November 2021

Human subjects research has the potential to produce information beyond the aims of the research study. This information may, nevertheless, have health or reproductive significance for the research participant. With the development of sophisticated technologies, these occurrences, known as incidental findings (IFs), are becoming increasingly common. As yet, however, there is no consensus on how IFs in human subjects research should be managed. This paper examines the current law and guidelines relating to human subjects research, and in doing so determines that research participants are inadequately informed about IFs. Consequently, their ability to make an informed choice about and provide informed consent to research procedures is compromised. After addressing the ethical and practical issues most salient to IFs, a framework for their management is developed. The framework sets out the information that should be discussed with research participants during the informed consent process. Recommendations for how this framework should be implemented are then made. The paper concludes that guidelines establishing minimum standards for communicating the possibility and presence of IFs are urgently required so that the rights of research participants are sufficiently protected.
Governmentality and Risk: Managing ‘Ocean Space’
Authors:   , Deuchars Robert
Published: November 2021

The term ‘fisheries management’ at first glance seems to be a reasonably unproblematic one. It implies that firstly, that there are resources called fish, and secondly, that these resources called fish can be harvested and managed. So far, so good. Next, there is the word ‘convention’. It is a commonly understood word in law in general and there are many conventions in International law and in International environmental law as well. Lastly there is the term ‘sustainable development’, a well-used term in International theory and practice, usually said to mean that although we understand the finite nature of the matter and energy that can be safely used by countries to develop, this can be tempered by putting in place measures and instruments to curb the excesses of human, and by that I mean industrialised, human activity on the environment.
Domestic workers in New Zealand and the implications of International Labour Organization Convention No. 189
Authors:   , Hyde Rachel
Published: November 2021

There are an estimated 52.6 million domestic workers in the world, 83 per cent of whom are women, and many of whom work in poor conditions for low pay. Globally, domestic work is an under-regulated and under-valued sector. In an effort to address the precariousness of domestic work, the International Labour Organization adopted Convention No 189, concerning decent work for domestic workers. The Convention came into force on 5 September 2013. It provides for global minimum standards in areas in respect to which domestic workers should enjoy employment and social protection. The rights of domestic workers in New Zealand are addressed in a number of pieces of legislation, including the Employment Relations Act 2000, the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, and the Human Rights Act 1993. Although some categories of domestic worker receive protection under the legislation, others do not. This paper argues that the coverage of domestic workers in New Zealand is confusing and incomplete. For many domestic workers in New Zealand low pay and poor working conditions are a reality. If New Zealand’s domestic workers are to receive the same protection as other New Zealand employees and those domestic workers in nations that have ratified Convention No 189, then ratification of the Convention and associated domestic legislative change may be necessary to bring domestic law into line with international labour law. In the absence of ratification there are a number of options that could be pursued to improve the working lives of domestic workers in New Zealand.
Educating for complexities: Using future focus education to approach the wicked problem of climate change
Authors:   , McLaren Lisa
Published: November 2021

Climate change is a wicked problem. It is one that, among other things, is caused by those trying to solve it, is a symptom of deeper problems, and is complicated and full of uncertainties. Future focus education approaches are designed to enable learners to work within those complexities. This thesis looked at the 2012 NZ/Pacific Power Shift conference as an example of a future focus education approach to climate change education. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and Power Shift participant questionnaires allowed for the development of five theoretical constructs; Complexity, Connections, Collaboration, Confidence, and Commitment. Wicked problem literature showed that framing climate change as ‘wicked’ enables learners to deal with the underlying issues associated with the complexities of climate change. Power Shift as an example of a future focus education approach to climate change education created engaged thinkers and participants. It embraced complexities and did not let them get in the way of creating positive and ambitious solutions to climate change issues. Learners benefited from Power Shifts future focus approach to climate change education in four interconnected ways. Firstly, it provided educational processes that could lead to the development of more capable learners. Learners were able to approach the wicked problem of climate change at localised levels. Secondly, it provided solutions-based approaches to working towards climate change actions. Thirdly, it increased self-confidence within some participants. And lastly, it created connections between participants that developed into a climate change action community.
"A Strange Fever of the Nerves and Blood": Nervous Illness in the Literature of the Nineteenth Century
Authors:   , Parry Sarah
Published: November 2021

In the nineteenth century, the discussion of personal health and wellbeing became almost a national pastime. With publications such as the British Medical Journal and Lancet freely accessible to the everyday reader, common medical terms and diagnoses were readily absorbed by the public. In particular, the nineteenth century saw the rapid rise of the ‘nervous illness’ – sicknesses which had no apparent physical cause, but had the capacity to cripple their victims with (among other things) delirium, tremors and convulsions. As part of the rich social life of this popular class of disorder, writers of fiction within the nineteenth century also participated in the public dialogue on the subject. Authors such as Charlotte Brontë, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle all constructed narratives involving nervous sufferers, particularly hypochondriacs and victims of brain fever. Despite writing in a wide variety of genres ranging from Gothic to realist, the roles played by the illnesses within the texts of these authors remain a vital feature of the plot, either as a hindrance to the protagonists (by removing key players from the plot at a critical moment) or a method of revealing deeper aspects of their character. Nervous illnesses carried with them social stigmas: men could be rendered feminine; women could be branded recklessly passionate or even considered visionaries as ideas about the nerves, the supposed seat of emotion and passion, brought into sharp relief the boundaries between physical and mental suffering, and physical and spiritual experiences.  The central aim of this thesis is to examine the cultural understanding of nervous illness and how nineteenth-century texts interacted with and challenged this knowledge. It focuses on how nineteenth-century authors of different genres – particularly the Gothic, sensation and realist genres – use the common convention of nervous illness – particularly hypochondria and brain fever – to develop their protagonists and influence the plot. Through comparisons between literary symptoms and those recorded by contemporary sufferers and their physicians, this thesis analyses the way that the cultural concept of nervous illness is used by four principal Victorian authors across a range of their works, looking at how hypochondria and brain fever function within their plots and interact with gender and genre conventions to uphold and subvert the common tropes of each. Whether it aids or hinders the protagonist, or merely gives the reader an insight into their personality, nervous illness in the Victorian novel was a widely used convention which speaks not only of the mindset of the author, but also of the public which so willingly received it.
Prisoners’ Experiences of Foundation Skills – an Intensive Adult Literacy and Numeracy Programme Delivered in New Zealand Prisons
Authors:   , Moriarity Alana
Published: November 2021

This transcendental phenomenological study addresses a gap in the current literature by exploring prisoners’ experiences of Foundation Skills, an intensive Adult Literacy and Numeracy (ALN) programme delivered in New Zealand prisons. Research with prisoners may help to improve the effectiveness of existing programmes and policies and thus contribute towards rehabilitation aims. In this study, ten male prisoners were interviewed about their experiences of Foundation Skills. The data was analysed using Creswell’s (2007) simplified version of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method outlined by Moustakas (1994) to arrive at a description of the essence of the participants’ experiences. The study found that the essence of the participants’ experiences was an increased interest and enjoyment in learning and education. The men all valued the programme as well as the opportunity to learn collaboratively. The participants’ aspirations for a better life and a better future for themselves and their whānau had a significant influence on their decision to learn and participate in education. Benefits of the programme, as well as factors that support or create barriers to learning were identified. The study outlines the implications of the findings for policy and practice and provides suggestions for future research.
Reducing organ trafficking: New Zealand's international and domestic responsibilities
Authors:   , Lai Shang-Chin
Published: November 2021

Organ trafficking is a transnational issue that calls for a response from the international medical community. Despite consistent condemnation, organ trafficking persists due to the worldwide shortage of organs for transplantation. This paper discusses the human rights abuses perpetuated by organ trafficking and suggests some approaches to reducing organ trafficking and transplant tourism. The paper concludes that combating organ trafficking requires a cohesive response from the international community of states, comprising of mutually reinforcing legal reform at international and domestic levels. In particular, states should seek to lighten the burden on the worldwide shortage of organs by increasing local supply. This paper considers presumed consent to be the most effective system of organ procurement. As such the paper suggests a framework for implementing presumed consent in New Zealand, in order to increase organ donation rates.
Lexical richness in adolescent writing, insights from the classroom: An L1 vocabulary development study
Authors:   , White Rebecca Hamilton
Published: November 2021

This thesis constitutes a mixed-methods enquiry into how vocabulary develops across adolescence, within the context of New Zealand secondary schools. A quantitative approach was adopted to investigate vocabulary use in authentic written essays produced by secondary school English students (N=141) belonging to three age groups: 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18, from eight schools. Essays were analysed for the following three lexical richness features: lexical variation, lexical sophistication, and lexical density. With links between these lexical richness features and vocabulary size/skill in vocabulary use (Vermeer, 2000; Ravid & Zilberbuch, 2003; Malvern, Richards, Chipere, & Durán, 2009), signs of development were studied through comparison of scores across the three age groups. Quantitative findings indicate significant lexical development across year levels in the data set. Furthermore, the findings suggest that within the period of adolescence there is an even more specific period in which substantial development takes place: 15-18 years, or later adolescence.  The qualitative aspect of this study focussed on identifying teacher perspectives on influences from within the secondary school context impacting on vocabulary development during this significant period of acquisition. Seven secondary school English teachers were interviewed on the subject of lexical development as it occurs within the schooling environment. Contributions from the school curriculum to vocabulary acquisition were observed, with spikes in curriculum difficulty from year 11 (age 15-16) onward corresponding with the developmental spike observed in the quantitative data further supporting this observation. Non-schooling related influences were also identified, including cognitive development, reading habits, and attitude and orientation toward vocabulary.  The present study contributes to the growing field of later language acquisition through identification of a possible period of heightened development within the adolescent years. Importantly, it also highlights factors in students’ everyday school lives which may contribute to their lexical development, raising implications both for those wishing to promote lexical development within the secondary school population, and more globally for our understanding of how heightened development occurs during this period. The study concludes with implications for theory, research and practice, together with limitations of the study and future research directions arising from this research.
Out of sight, out of mind? Non-user understandings of archives in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors:   , Davidson Jared
Published: November 2021

Research problem: Despite a significant amount of research on archival users, only a small number of studies have focused solely on the non-user. This study investigated non-user understandings of archives in Aotearoa New Zealand to learn about their awareness of archives, perceptions of accessibility and use, and views on an archives’ purpose and societal role. This included whether non-users valued archives and what this said about the democratic archival contract. Methodology: A qualitative research design influenced by critical theory was employed. Eight non-user samples of individuals over the age of 18 were purposively selected within the population of Aotearoa New Zealand, covering variables of geographical location, socio-economic status, education, gender, age, and ethnicity. Three activist samples were also included. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically. Results: While their image of an archive was generally accurate and positive, participants had little knowledge of how they were organised. Archives were highly valued and viewed as accessible places for those who needed it, but with clear differences to other institutions. These differences prevented half of the sample with a need to use an archive from doing so. The archival contract was generally accepted, but was problematized in terms of access and cultural bias. Implications: The findings support the view that understandings of archives greatly influence use. Although limited to a small and geographically specific sample, this study enables archives to know more about potential users, and design, target and implement outreach in order to raise awareness and increase use.
Addressing the legal issues of an innovative start-up company
Authors:   , Samoylov Vlad
Published: November 2021

Before examining the substance of the law it is necessary to discuss the contrast between law and practice. It is important to keep in mind that the letter of the law is sometimes not what is done in practice. This realisation is often referred to as the “law and society perspective.” Advocates of this perspective treat legal doctrine as more than just a closed system because they recognise that there are other external influences at play. Beyond the law, people are also influenced by other factors such as social roles, morals, religion and culture. For example, university researchers have an external incentive mechanism outside of IP law. Such researchers frequently prefer to publish their results and discoveries in academic journals rather than file for patents. A patent cannot be granted where there has been a publication. However the researchers are motivated by other incentives such as access to research funds and the attainment of professorship.  The Law and Society perspective highlights the fact that the formal processes, which are provided for by the law are at times substituted by informal customs and understandings. An information technology (IT) firm that contributed to this paper by participating in an interview (Interviewee A), provided a good example of such an occurrence. Rather than use any of the formal IP modes of protection which are discussed in the following sections of this paper, ‘Interviewee A’ uses a very unorthodox strategy to protect their IP. They said: “we rely on employment contracts, code of conduct, and especially personal ethics and behaviour to protect our IP. We therefore have a company culture that encourages teamwork and cooperation”.
Trust in Recordkeeping
Authors:   , Hitchcock Jean
Published: November 2021

Research Problem: Compliance in recordkeeping is essential, especially in public service organisations that are required to comply with the Public Records Act (PRA) of New Zealand, which lays down strict guidelines for recordkeeping to aid in transparency in government. Records must be comprehensive and complete, as well as authentic and reliable. People are less likely to use a system if they do not trust it. There are various factors influencing compliance; this research examines trust in the recordkeeping system itself, and the factors that enhance or diminish trust. Methodology: This quantitative research was conducted using an online questionnaire in March of 2014. It was disseminated via New Zealand’s listserv for the recordkeeping community and it was sent to records managers because they understand the PRA, and have a holistic view of recordkeeping; and also would have an overview of staff compliance and attitudes. Text questions were included at the end, giving people an opportunity to explain or expand on their answers. Findings: Results were varied, reflecting the diversity of organisations affected by the PRA as well as diversity in standards of recordkeeping and compliance. Some results were clear, with all respondents seeing the benefit of support from management. Different problems were experienced in different organisations, and strategies to enhance trust and consequences of mistrust were listed. Implications: With increased knowledge about the factors affecting trust in recordkeeping systems, as well potential solutions, records managers can have a better chance of running or implementing a successful system. People factors play a large role in the success of a system, and record managers need to find ways to achieve user buy-in. Different solutions work in different organisations. Further research into the other factors affecting compliance in recordkeeping systems is indicated.
Engagement with angry faces during attentional bias modification: Insights from the N2pc
Authors:   , Hunkin Lisa Michelle
Published: November 2021

Healthy individuals show an attentional bias toward threat, and this bias is exaggerated in anxious individuals. Recent studies have shown that training anxious individuals to attend to neutral information can reduce their threat bias and anxiety levels. This training is called attentional bias modification (ABM). However, despite the large literature on ABM, it is still unclear how ABM achieves its effects. Two mechanisms – facilitated engagement with threat, and delayed disengagement from threat – are thought to be involved in the threat bias. In this thesis, I investigated the effects of ABM on engagement with angry faces. First, in Experiment 1 I developed an ABM task to train healthy individuals to attend to either angry or neutral faces. Participants completed a dot-probe task in which they saw two faces – one angry and one neutral – followed by a target that appeared more often in the location of either the angry or neutral face (depending on their respective training condition). Experiment 1 was successful at inducing a bias. Next, Experiment 2 used this task to investigate the effects of ABM on event-related potentials before, during, and after training. The N2pc component, which provides a measure of attentional engagement, was used to investigate changes in engagement with angry and neutral faces as a function of training. Consistent with previous studies, there was an overall N2pc for the angry face, indicating that participants were engaging their attention with the angry face. However, the N2pc was not affected by training, even though participants were moving their eyes in the training-congruent direction during training, indicating sensitivity to the training contingency. These results suggest that ABM does not affect attentional engagement with threat stimuli. Rather, it is likely that an improved ability to disengage attention from threat stimuli underlies ABM’s training effects.
The Drama‐Free Performance of Authentic Friends: Exploring how New Zealand men make sense of their friendships
Authors:   , Martinussen Maree Harete
Published: November 2021

In contemporary New Zealand, the cultural tropes surrounding the ‘good kiwi bloke’ and his ‘mates’ might seem as solid and steadfast as conceptions of kiwi mateship itself. However, the stability of masculinities and femininities is considered in this thesis as an illusion enabled by ongoing reflexive accomplishment, and I focus on how that illusion is achieved through the discursive construction of intimacies within friendships. A synthesis of ethnomethodological and poststructuralist theory informs the discourse analytic approach taken -­ critical discursive psychology. Drawing on insights from discursive psychological research, particularly Margaret Wetherell’s work, I apply the tools of this method to data collected from focus groups. Although my analysis is sociological, I engage with a wide range of theoretical claims from diverse disciplines in discussing my findings. I find that participant justifications for not engaging in some intimacies are constructed though interpretive repertoires that de‐value women’s friendship relating. However, I point to the re-­signification of intimacies relating to emotional self-­‐disclosing in men’s friendships; the task of aligning these ‘traditionally’ feminine intimacies with heteromasculine identity is achieved through an interpretive repertoire of authenticity. An authenticity repertoire is bolstered by the reproduction of understandings that uphold ideal friendships as being based on non-­obligatory interactions, which are carried out by rational, autonomous subjects. I suggest that these understandings of men’s friendships foster a sense of ontological security, but that they inhibit greater responsiveness between friends. The ways in which intimacy of friendships are mediated by discourses of sexism and heterosexism are also explored. The data indicates that mobilisation of sexist discourses functions to build shared masculine identity, with the subtleties of humour working to obscure prejudiced content. Elsewhere, humour is used to manage intimacies in friendships, via an ambiguous ‘homo-­play’ repertoire, where the contingent linking of sex and gender is exposed. I highlight the complex and context-­specific ways repertoires are used and question tendencies within studies of masculinities to map out typologies of masculinities, such as ‘softer’ or ‘orthodox’ masculinities, which are often attached to ‘types’ of men. Overall, I suggest that the careful management of talk about men’s friendships generally supports the ideological thrust of the current gender order, in line with Judith Butler’s conceptions of heterosexual hegemony. However, simultaneously, the relentless accounting in­‐talk around what constitutes men’s friendship is indicative of the need to continually perform (heterosexual) man‐friend, highlighting the intrinsic vulnerability of heterosexual hegemony.
Exploring New Zealand year 11 students' understanding of Nature of Science concepts
Authors:   , Northcott Blair Daniel
Published: November 2021

Nature of Science (NOS) is a core part of science education. Extensive effort has gone into establishing educationally appropriate NOS tenets, teaching practices and assessments tools. However, while previous research has identified the importance of prior knowledge in science education, there is limited research that investigates students’ prior knowledge and beliefs about NOS. This information is critical in identifying what teachers need to target in order develop informed NOS beliefs amongst students. In this study the NOS beliefs of year 11 secondary school students in New Zealand were explored using a mixed methods approach. Factor analysis of the students’ (N=502) NOS questionnaire responses revealed that students’ conceptions of NOS differed from the constructs identified in the NOS literature. Coding of the purposively selected sample of student interviews (n=22) revealed a naïve realist model of science was common. This model along with the alternative constructs provided insights into students’ NOS conceptions. The findings were used to develop a model that could help teachers’ better identify explicit and implicit teaching practices to help students develop more appropriate NOS models.
Cemented in Time: Concrete Bungalows designed by Cambridge Architect James Thomas Douce 1914-1928
Authors:   , Gainsford Jennifer M.
Published: November 2021

This study examines the significant architectural commissions of James Thomas Douce in Cambridge and the surrounding districts between1914 and 1928. The major component of the thesis will encompass a historical and an architectural discussion of 15 of his major works that were constructed in concrete. Added to this discourse there will be a conversation around their relationship with the town of Cambridge, the urban environment, contemporises who constructed the vernacular in concrete, the importance of these buildings in their setting. The focal point of the study will highlight Douce’s prowess and contribution as an architect. During the early part of the twentieth century he was at the height of his career when he received commissions from prominent Cambridge identities. An onsite investigation will underscore the exceptional qualities and design of each structure. Attention to the architectural merits, historical context and heritage values of each bungalow will be analysed. The examination of primary and secondary sources will focus on; historical records, the construction and the design elements, how his bungalows contributed to the architectural landscape and what impact Douce’s bungalows had on the Cambridge streetscape during the early1900s. Douce was Cambridge’s most successful architect from 1910 to his retirement in 1945. An honours paper undertaken at Auckland University (2003) established that many vernacular and commercial buildings in the Cambridge District can be attributed to him. This thesis encompasses a time frame that reflects his principal commissions and their relationship in the urban setting of Cambridge.
I. Synthesis and Reactivity of Novel β-Diketiminato-cadmium Complexes, II. Synthesis of Lead Selenide Nanoparticles for Use in Solar Cells
Authors:   , Borren Elliot
Published: November 2021

Rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere has led to metal amide and alkoxide complexes being explored as potential CO₂ activators. A wide variety of M–O and M–N bonds have been shown to activate CO₂, however to date there are no examples with cadmium. A range of novel cadmium amide and alkoxide complexes have been synthesised, using the β-diketiminato ligand (BDI) as an ancilliary ligand. Initial reactivity studies have suggested CO₂ activation may be possible, although no products were isolated. Homonuclear metallic bonding (M–M) has been explored since the 1950’s and complexes containing M–M bonds are known for almost all transition and main group metals. There are only two reported Cd–Cd bonds, both using sterically bulky monoanionic ligands, like the β-diketiminato ligand. A novel β-diketiminato-cadmium chloride complex was synthesised and treated with a range of different reducing agents to generate a Cd–Cd bond. Different reactivities were observed for the reducing agents, however evidence of a Cd–Cd bond was not obtained. Group 14-16 materials, such as lead selenide, are p-type semi-conductors and have the potential to replacing silicon as a photon acceptor in solar cells. Lead selenide nanoparticles display quantum confinement effects, which allows one to tailor the band gap energies to maximise their absorbance of solar energy. The synthesis of PbSe nanoparticles is described in this study from the reaction between selenium and the lead complex [(BDIph)₂Pb], as well as from the decomposition of [(BDIdipp)PbSeP{Se}Cy₂]. Differences in the size and shapes of the nanoparticles was observed, highlighting the need for controlled nucleation and growth conditions.
Poor black women and messy drag queens: A discursive map of the scandalous event of “Haute Mess”
Authors:   , Macdonald Anna Estelle
Published: November 2021

In 2012, Vogue Italia became embroiled in an online scandal about “Haute Mess,” the centrepiece fashion spread from its March issue. Shot in a fast-food diner, the models in the spread wore garish clothing, stacks of jewellery, long heavily pattered acrylic nails, outré makeup, and extreme weaves (hairpieces that are similar to wigs). In response to “Haute Mess,” several prominent online magazines accused Vogue Italia of cultural appropriation. These claims hinged on the shoot’s hairstyling, as some of the extreme weaves featured on the models in “Haute Mess” resembled weaves worn by anonymous black women in photographs that circulate online, on websites such as NoWayGirl.com. This thesis examines the scandalous event of “Haute Mess,” exploring the relationships between the shoot itself, the online discussion about it, Vogue Italia’s framing of it, and the photographs of weaves worn by anonymous black women that resemble those hairstyles in “Haute Mess.” Following Michel Foucault’s work on the archive, and Lauren Berlant’s “histories of the present,” this thesis questions the status of the event as given, and sets out to unpick its seams. This process involves mapping the emergence of two distinct categories of knowledge about marginalised bodies from this event: the ‘Poor Black Woman’ and the ‘Messy Drag Queen.’ By tracing the formation of these figures, this thesis argues that this event functions as a concentrated instance of the production of knowledge about marginalised bodies. In relation to this production of knowledge, the scandalous event of “Haute Mess” frames the Poor Black Woman and Messy Drag Queen in binary terms, as authentic and inauthentic, respectively. In order to circumvent this binary, this thesis seeks a way to engage with this event beyond appeals to authenticity.
What are the perceptions of stakeholders of an online ESOL programme?: The case of one intermediate school in New Zealand
Authors:   , Tate Annette
Published: November 2021

Online teaching for English language learners in New Zealand schools is a recent phenomenon. Increasingly complex technologies allow expanding and far reaching options in the teaching practices of English, particularly to those students in remote geographical areas, or in schools with no qualified English as a second language teacher. This qualitative research project investigated the case of one intermediate school that adopted online English language learning to meet the learning needs of their English language learners. Stakeholders’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators to learning were reported and examined. Data indicated research participants formed three distinct groups according to the extent of their involvement in the daily programme; their communication about English language learning and the particular online programme they were using; and their understanding of the purposes and processes of the online English language programme. These three factors influenced stakeholders’ perceptions of the value of online English language learning. The more actively stakeholders were involved, communicated about and understood the online English language learning programme, the more they were convinced of its value. These findings suggest that stakeholders who have a more peripheral involvement may benefit from increased opportunities to connect with other stakeholders in the programme. Online English language learning is likely to be enhanced if formal and informal structures are developed to allow stakeholders to develop greater involvement, opportunities for communication and knowledge of the programme.
Critical Architectural Heritage: Constructing heritage with(out) the Wanganui Native Land Court Building
Authors:   , Harding Duncan
Published: November 2021

Critical heritage is a theory and practice where heritage is defined as the active engagement of the past in the present. In critical heritage, building, sites, and places are not objects of heritage in themselves but are cultural tools that facilitate the performance of heritage. If heritage, particularly architectural heritage, is not considered to be a tangible object or building, then the discipline is opened to a wide variety of differing groups and identities, some of whom are currently disadvantaged by conventional practices of heritage.  This thesis examines how the arguments of architectural heritage were performed in a case study of New Zealand heritage practice: the 2013 Environment Court hearing regarding the Wanganui Native Land Court Building. A quantitative content analysis of the hearing revealed the heritage arguments to be composed in five main patterns which emphasised: the significance of identity, built fabric, context, a combination of identity and context, and a combination of the built fabric and context. The patterns show that the significance, and use, of the built form varied in different heritage arguments.  If the performative context of the Environment Court is acknowledged via critical heritage, then the patterns show how arguments of heritage were composed, particularly in relation to the built form. Reference to the Wanganui Native Land Court building was not a significant quantitative component in many of these patterns and, as such, the use of the building was primarily conceptual, rather than material. The Court’s decision privileges the built form as a physical resource which is scarce and irreplaceable. The decision is, in some ways, at odds with the lack of reliance on built form in the patterns.
“Occupational Health and Safety” Corporate Liability and the Regulation of Officers: New Zealand Reform
Authors:   , Paulson Stella Kasoulides
Published: November 2021

This paper examines the concept of corporate liability in the context of occupational health and safety in New Zealand. In particular it looks at the new duty of officers proposed in the Health and Safety Reform Bill 2014. New Zealand’s occupational health and safety framework has experienced a regulatory breakdown, stemming from its incomplete implementation of the Robens Model for health and safety regulation. That breakdown involves many flaws and gaps, especially as far as corporate liability is concerned, while the modern world of work has created new challenges to health and safety regulation. This setting demands a new regulatory tool to create effective corporate liability and increase the compliance of companies’. This article examines the new world of work and the inherent clash between OHS regulation and the corporate world to reveal two main conclusions; the major barrier to company compliance is a lack of effective inducement; and there is a desperate need to create health and safety leaders within companies, in order to create a positive health and safety culture. These two conclusions promote the main proposition of this paper, that the proposed duty of officers will be instrumental in improving the state of workplace health and safety. This paper examines the duty, as drafted, to emphasise its potential and to highlight certain flaws which may limit that potential.
The (in-) effectiveness of international law: A critical analysis of the rational choice theory in the light of the Ukrainian crisis 2014
Authors:   , Sangmeister Bernadette
Published: November 2021

The aim of this research paper is to explore the role and content of the rational choice theory in international law and to critically analyse this theory in the light of the current Ukrainian crisis: Does the Ukrainian crisis 2014 prove rational choice theorists right? Can Russia’s military intervention in Crimea and the annexation of this region be seen as the failure of the UN Charter and therefore, as an evidence for the ineffectiveness of international law? Is international law effective at all? It will be argued that the rational choice theory cannot be seen as proven right in the light of the Ukrainian crisis 2014: Although, with regard to Russia’s unlawful military intervention in Crimea, the current crisis might at first glance be considered as validating the rational choice theory and the general ineffectiveness of international law, there is as well some evidence to be found in the actions and reactions of Russia and other nation-states and institutions from which one can deduce that international law does influence states’ behaviours, that states are not merely acting out of self-interest but also out of international legal obligations and that thus the current crisis may rather serve as an example of the (overall) effectiveness of international law.
Sustainable Community-run Development: Experiences from the ADIO Project in Ostional, Costa Rica
Authors:   , Klopfer Katja
Published: November 2021

In the face of the current global sustainability challenge, seeking out and strengthening sustainable alternative methods for community development has become an urgent task for development professionals and academics. In order to explore one of such alternatives, in this thesis I draw on research conducted with the Associación de Desarollo Integral de Ostional (ADIO). Located on Costa Rica’s rural Pacific coast, ADIO was initiated by the local community of Ostional and resulted in the Project of Sustainable Use, Conservation and Management of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle in 1987. Co-managed by the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and the Ministry of Natural Resources (MINAE), ADIO practices conservation and scientifically monitors the management of the Olive Ridley sea turtle species. Surplus eggs from the turtle arribadas (the mass nesting’s of sea turtles) at the optional beach are being legally harvested and marketed by ADIO. This project has successfully contributed to the protection of the Olive Ridley turtle population whilst returning socio-economic benefits into the community. The aim of this research is to gain a better understanding of ADIO’s work and the significance of ADIO to the local community. My research draws on the experiences of community members to identify their perception of the benefits of ADIO to their own community, and unpack areas in need of improvement. Qualitative data were collected from community members through: semi structured interviews, participant observation, a reflective workshop, a questionnaire and field notes. The findings of this research identify key elements for the success of ADIO, and demonstrate the benefit of this Project toward the sustainability of the local community. This research demonstrates that socio-economic benefits can be gained through appropriate community participation in sustainable conservation projects, which can further enhance the desire of the local community to be better stewards of natural resources. This thesis seeks to contribute in some small way to an existing body of knowledge on the topics of sustainability, community-run conservation, and development.
European Union citizenship: The acquisition of nationality and the ever-expansive reach of the European Court of Justice
Authors:   , McLellan Bridgette K.
Published: November 2021

European Union citizenship was established by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992. Intended to fall within the exclusive prerogative of the Member States, it soon became clear that the autonomy of Member States to determine matters relating to nationality would be restricted by the ever-expansive reach of the European Court of Justice. As such, the European Court of Justice transformed the law on citizenship in the 2010 case of Rottmann where measures affecting or depriving the rights conferred and protected by the European Union were held to fall within the scope ratione materiae of European Union law. While Rottmann affirmed the law as to the deprivation of European Union citizenship, it left unanswered the question whether the acquisition of nationality also falls within the scope of European Union law. This paper aims to identify and analyse the law arising post-Rottmann to determine whether the acquisition of nationality could fall within the scope of European Union law. It shall then analyse whether fundamental principles of European Union law, namely the principle of proportionality, could be applied in order to regulate the conditions imposed by Member States in relation to the acquisition of nationality.
Constructing a Buddhist-Inspired Framework for Examining Tulkus’ use of Cyberspace
Authors:   , Soper Catherine Elizabeth
Published: November 2021

This thesis is both, an examination of tulkus’ use of cyberspace (with a particular focus on social media); and a methodological experiment. In this thesis I construct a framework for examining tulkus’ use of social media platforms, such as: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. However rather than using “alien” ideas to construct the framework (such as, the ideas of Virtual Reality, and telepresence), I draw on concepts and doctrines found within the Buddhist tradition. The four ideas I draw on are: nirmāṇakāya; the yamakaprātihārya; ideas surrounding presence and absence in the Buddhist tradition; and visualization meditation. The four ideas are then applied to case studies in order to demonstrate how these ideas could potentially offer a way to view tulkus’ use of cyberspace from a “Buddhist” perspective. One of the aims of this framework is to investigate the potential (from a Buddhist perspective) for cyberspace to be sacralised by the presence of a being such as a tulku, and consider how religious functions and activities seem to be carried out “in” cyberspace. This framework is also a methodological experiment. Rather than using an “off the shelf” theory I plan to construct my methodology using ideas from within the Buddhist tradition. As far as I’m aware, the method of considering material from within the tradition being studied is relatively rare. I hope that this project will demonstrate the general potential for such an approach being used more widely in academia. NB: When I submitted this thesis for examination, I was informed that I should have obscured the names of the Facebook users in the screenshots included in this work. I have done my best to rectify this problem, by obscuring all the names of the followers of the tulkus studied, and removed any reference to them by name in the body of the thesis.