bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Homogeneous Gold Catalysis: Mechanistic Investigation of Hydroalkoxylation of Various Alkynes
Authors:   , Wong Zhi Xiang
Published: November 2021

The reaction mechanism of the gold(III)-catalysed hydroalkoxylation of alkynes is studied to provide a deeper understanding of homogeneous gold catalysis. The study is conducted computationally using Density Functional Theory (DFT), with the PBE0 and BP86 functionals and basis sets of triple-ζ quality (aug-cc-pVTZ and aug-cc-pVTZ-PP for the gold atom). It emphasises the mechanisms undergone by various alkynes when they are activated by gold(III) catalysts towards nucleophilic attack to first form an enol ether and followed by a second nucleophilic attack to form a ketal as the final product. Hydrogen bonding networks formed by the solvent methanols are found to play a crucial role in the mechanism especially in the hydrogen migration steps that follow after the nucleophilic attacks. The first nucleophilic attacks are predicted to have rather low activation energies and hence they are expected to proceed fast while the second additions vary in activation barriers, depending on the steric effects in the substrates. The activation barrier for the last hydrogen migration is highest for all of the three reactions investigated and is expected to be the rate determining step. Investigations of internal alkyne reactions reveal that each elementary step requires a higher activation energy compared to terminal alkynes, which explains the low experimental rate of such reactions. Due to the regioselectivity problem in internal alkyne reactions, this results in a mixture of products which is difficult to isolate due to the similarities in their reaction energies. The study also highlights the calculated thermodynamics and kinetics of the reactions, which can be useful in predicting experimental outcomes. Arrhenius plots of concentration of each intermediate species against time were produced to further help the understanding of these mechanisms, whether or not the reactions go to full completion or stop at the formation of enol ether.
Population genetic structure of New Zealand blue cod (Parapercis colias) based on mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA markers
Authors:   , Gebbie Clare Louise
Published: November 2021

Parapercis colias (blue cod) is an endemic temperate reef fish that supports an important commercial and recreational fishery in New Zealand. However, concerns have been raised about localized stock depletion, and multiple lines of evidence have suggested P. colias may form several biologically distinct populations within the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone. Mark and recapture studies along with otolith and stable isotope studies have indicated that individuals are sedentary with very limited movement beyond the scale of 10-20km. The primary goal of this research was to advance the current knowledge of P. colias population genetic structure. This information can be incorporated into stock assessment models with the aim of improving the management of the P. colias fishery. This study made use of 454 pyrosequencing technology to isolate and develop the first set of microsatellite DNA markers for P. colias. These seven microsatellite loci, along with mitochondrial control region sequences, were used to determine the levels of genetic variation and differentiation between sites around the New Zealand coastline, including the Chatham Islands.  Significant differentiation was observed between the Chatham Islands and mainland New Zealand sample sites, indicating that these two regions form distinct populations. Interpretation of the results for the mainland sites was more complex. Mitochondrial sequence data detected no significant pairwise differentiation between mainland sites, although a pattern of isolation-by-distance was observed. However, evidence for genetic differentiation among mainland sites was weak based on the microsatellite DNA analysis. Although pairwise Gѕт levels were significant in some sites, this was not reflected in principal component analysis or Bayesian structure analysis. It is likely that through long range dispersal, migration is at or above the threshold for genetic connectivity, but below a level necessary for demographic connectivity. This is indicated by both the genetic structure reported here, along with previous studies showing limited dispersal of P. colias.
Exploring the development of biological literacy in Tanzanian junior secondary school students
Authors:   , Juma Zawadi Richard
Published: November 2021

Internationally, scientific literacy is a major goal of science education in the twenty first century. In Tanzania, where there is a widespread lack of public understanding about major health issues, biological literacy is needed so that people can make decisions about the socio-scientific issues that confront them. To that end, the Tanzanian school curriculum aims to connect students’ understandings of Biology to their everyday lives but few studies have been conducted that show whether these aims have been achieved, especially in junior secondary school. This ethnographic case study investigates the ways in which the junior secondary school Biology curriculum in Tanzania supports or constrains the development of biological literacy and how institutional context, particularly as it relates to urban and rural schools, influences the delivery of the Biology curriculum. Teachers’ and Year Four students’ of secondary schools views about school Biology were sought in the course of this study and the issues that emerged were analysed using social constructivist and social constructionist theoretical frameworks. Data were collected through student questionnaires, student focus group interviews, teacher interviews, and classroom observations. The research sites included rural and urban schools, and government and private schools. The findings suggest that the Biology curriculum and the ways it is delivered do not adequately address the students’ needs and therefore is unlikely to enable them to become biologically literate. Rural schools are less well equipped than urban schools to deliver the curriculum and teachers and students face bigger challenges. A key finding was that Tanzanian young people have a strong desire to learn more about reproductive Biology and health issues but these are not prioritised in the current curriculum. In light of these findings, curriculum changes are recommended to provide learning opportunities for students to gain biological knowledge and skills that are relevant to their daily lives.
From Paper to Pixels : Evaluating the Usability of Digitised Books online
Authors:   , Robertson Richard
Published: November 2021

Research problem: Digital libraries have invested significant resources digitising and providing access to an increasing number of books. The various approaches taken to visualise digitised books online, has potential to effect the usability and usefulness of the book to the user. Previous usability studies focus on the digital library as a whole, this study narrows the focus to the digitised book. The intention being to identify usability issues and investigate the effects a visualisation approach may have on users.  Methodology: An anonymous survey was conducted, employing the Interaction Triptych Framework (ITF) to frame the relationships between the user and digitised books. Two examples of digitised books from the New Zealand Electronic Text Collection and the Internet Archive were used. Participants from library, archives and history fields, as well as general users, were invited to participate.  Results: 132 participants began the survey, with 86 participants completing all of the required parts. Results suggest a slightly positive attitude towards the usability and usefulness of the examples, with Open Library rated higher for usability and both examples rated similarly for usefulness. Participant comments suggest many users appreciate features analogous to physical books, with regard to aesthetics, learnability and navigation, while for ease of use and reading, rich text appeared to be preferred over digital image based visualisation.  Implications: Digital Libraries need to continually strive to improve the usability and usefulness of digitised books to satisfy their users, further research is suggested creating prototypes and conducting user testing to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between users and digitised books online.
Maximising stakeholder value in personal insolvency (a New Zealand perspective)
Authors:   , Haines Quentin Stobart
Published: November 2021

Personal insolvency law in New Zealand has had some recent amendments that have been successful in reducing the number of bankruptcies. With the rise in consumer bankruptcies and insolvencies, both in New Zealand and internationally many historic insolvency laws and practices are outdated.  Balancing the obligations of debtors with the relief of a proactive insolvency regime while satisfying stakeholders is difficult. If relief is too easily accessed there is a risk of abuse of the system. If relief is too difficult to obtain there will be unnecessary suffering and a potential loss of economic motivation for the insolvent.  A new model of personal administration is argued as the best mechanism for maximising stakeholder value. Such a system if entered through a restrictive gateway would cease any concern of abuse.
Mathematical modelling of solute transport in a heterogeneous aquifer
Authors:   , Dommisse James Phillip
Published: November 2021

This study provides a contribution to the understanding of parsimony and predictive uncertainty in the context of groundwater solute transport modelling. The study is unique because the modelling was undertaken using tracer test data from a heterogeneous artificial aquifer whose structure was known to a very high level of detail. The aquifer structure was based on a ‘real life’ Canterbury Plains alluvial aquifer (in New Zealand).  Parsimonious principles were applied by starting with a simple analytical model that assumed homogeneity then progressively adding heterogeneity using numerical models with varying degrees of parameterisation complexity. The results show that increased complexity did not necessarily make the model better at replicating the tracer test data. For example, the outputs from a numerical model that represented heterogeneity using a zone based approach based on the recorded distribution of all 2,907 blocks that comprised the artificial aquifer was little different to a simple numerical model that adopted a homogenous distribution and included a single value of dispersion. Parameterisation of numerical models using ‘pilot points’ provided the most complex representation of heterogeneity and resulted in the best replication of the tracer test data. However, increasing model complexity had its disadvantages such as decreasing parameterisation uniqueness.  The contribution to predictive uncertainty from model parameters and observations was assessed using a linear approach based on Bayes theorem. This approach has been applied to other groundwater modelling studies, but not to solute transport modelling within Canterbury Plains alluvial aquifers or to an artificial aquifer. A unique finding was the reduction in predictive uncertainty along the groundwater flow path. This finding correlated well with the numerical model outputs which showed closer fits to the observation data near the end of the aquifer compared to those near the top of the aquifer where the tracer was injected.  Physical solute transport processes were identified and described as part of the modelling. These included the increase in dispersivity with travel distance and the spatial distribution of the aquifer hydraulic properties. Analytical modelling was a useful tool in identifying physical processes, aquifer characteristics and the variation in aquifer hydraulic properties both spatially and with depth.  An important finding was the value of undertaking multiple modelling approaches. This is because each approach has its own advantages and disadvantageous and by comparing the results of different approaches, the true facts about the aquifer system are made clearer.
Mechanisms of exclusion and discrimination in the accounting profession: An ethnicity-focused study
Authors:   , Huang Guozhen G.
Published: November 2021

This study addresses mechanisms of exclusion and discrimination in the accounting profession. It illustrates how people are potentially discriminated against, based on their ethnicities, when entering the accounting profession; and strategies they have used to overcome such potential discrimination. In investigating these issues, Bourdieu’s practice theory is used as the directing theory.  The sample used in this study comprises 45 accounting graduates who have wished to enter the accounting profession via the accountant employment market in New Zealand. They are of 20 different ethnic backgrounds. Their experiences and perceptions are collected through interview analysis, such interviews undertaken with semi-structured questioning. In data analysis, the researcher first identifies the different positions taken by different ethnic groups relative to each other, and then examines ethnic minorities’ forms of capital (accessible resources) relative to their position. After confirming their positions and forms of capital, the researcher further examines their strategies.  The study found that Pakeha (New Zealanders mostly British descent) take the most advantageous positions; migrants from China and East Asia take the most disadvantageous positions; sitting between them, are ethnic minorities who grew up in New Zealand, and migrants from the Indian subcontinent and South Asia.  Ethnic minorities are potentially discriminated against on eight subtle factors including English proficiency (oral proficiency in particular), understanding of local New Zealand culture, accounting work experience in New Zealand, personality traits (appearances and manners in particular), their New Zealand accounting degree, country of origin (and associated accent and surname), cultural stereotype (work ethic in particular), and any weakness in their social networks with local New Zealanders.  To overcome such potential discrimination, ethnic minorities have been observed to use seven strategies; including adopting an English surname, meeting the employer face-to-face, cutting down the CV (removing overseas accounting qualifications and experiences), accepting an undesirable job offer, seeking a niche in the accountant job market, “knitting the web” (building up social networks with New Zealanders), and transforming the self (changing their habitus and adapting to New Zealand norms).  This study shows that discrimination is suffered not only by Chinese and Indians (as identified in previous accounting research), but also by many other ethnicities. It supports the view that accounting is not just a recording technique; it is also a tool which is used to produce and reproduce economic and cultural domination in the society. Some seemingly meritocratic attributes, such as accounting knowledge, skills and personality traits, are in fact perceived to be inherently connected to an accountant’s social and cultural background.
Assessing the motivations of New Zealand’s International Interventions: From Practice to Theory
Authors:   , Mitchell Matthew
Published: November 2021

Since the end of the Cold War New Zealand has participated in numerous international interventions, both within the Asia-Pacific region and further afield. As a small state with limited resources and influence what have been the primary motivating factors that have influenced New Zealand’s decisions to intervene? Can the decisions to intervene be best explained by realism, liberalism, constructivism, or a combination of these theories? This essay will assess the motivating factors for New Zealand’s involvement in international interventions by analysing four case studies where New Zealand participated in an intervention – Bosnia, East Timor, Afghanistan, and the Solomon Islands. This essay will also assess whether the motivating factors for intervening within New Zealand’s geographic region differ from those outside its region, and whether there is a difference in approach taken by the two main political parties in New Zealand – Labour and National. The essay concludes that while there were elements of realism and constructivism in the decisions to intervene, liberalism provides that best explanation for the decision to intervene in three of the four case studies. The fourth case study, the Solomon Islands, is best explained by the realist factors of regional security and upholding New Zealand’s relationship with Australia. The essay finds that while the motivations for intervening in three of the four case studies were similar, the motivations for intervening within the Asia-Pacific region were slightly more realist. The motivations to intervene were similar regardless if National or Labour were in government.
Non-probative Photos Promote the Truth of Positive Claims
Authors:   , Cardwell Brittany A.
Published: November 2021

People’s judgments are prone to the influence of feelings, even cognitive feelings such as the ease with which related information comes to mind (Alter & Oppenheimer, 2009; Schwarz & Clore, 2007). In 14 experiments, we¹ found evidence that non-probative photos — ones that relate to what people are evaluating, but that provide no relevant information for their task — produce cognitive feelings that lead people to evaluate claims more positively.  In Part 1, we examined the extent to which photos promote the truth of positive and negative claims. People saw the names of several fictitious wines. Some wine names appeared with a photo that depicted the noun in the name; other wine names appeared without a photo. For each wine people decided whether a positive or a negative claim about it was true. Photos selectively promoted the truth of positive claims, did so most when they could help people comprehend wine names, and swayed people’s judgments about the taste of wines.  In Part 2, we showed that those findings translated to when people judged claims about their own (and other people’s) experiences. People “interacted” with several unfamiliar animals (on a computer). Later, people saw the animal names again, sometimes with a photo of the animal and sometimes alone, and decided whether it was true that they (or other people) had positive or negative experiences with the animals. Photos selectively led people to think positive claims were true, and exerted their strongest effects when they could most help people bring related thoughts and images to mind².  ¹ Although the research in this thesis is my own, I conducted it in a lab and supervised a team comprised of research assistants and honors students. I also received advice and direction from my supervisors. Therefore, I often use the word “we” in this thesis to reflect that fact. As you will also see, I use the word “we” in a different context to refer to what is known (or not known) in the wider scientific community.  ² Portions of this thesis were adapted from:  Cardwell, Newman, Garry, Mantonakis, & Beckett (manuscript under review). Photos that increase feelings of learning promote positive evaluations.  Cardwell, Henkel, & Garry (manuscript in preparation). Non-probative photos lead people to believe positive claims about their recent pasts.  But I have expanded on the introduction, results and discussion.
An interpretative phenomenological analysis of 'being religious' in emerging adults within a tertiary education setting
Authors:   , Dravitzki Thomas
Published: November 2021

Research in the last 30 years has shown that young people have been increasingly turning away from religion during the period of emerging adulthood, despite the benefits that religious people experience. The present hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the meaning of young adults’ experiences of being religious in a New Zealand tertiary education setting. Phenomenological interviewing was used to capture the experiences of 10 religious students, including how they practise their religion and what they believe, with the aim of developing a deeper understanding of what being religious meant for them. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of the findings showed that being religious meant: having a relationship with God, being different to one’s secular peers, experiencing challenges, and that being religious was ultimately constructive. Many of the students experienced challenges to their religious beliefs and identities from fellow students, teachers and at an institutional level. The benefits of being religious outweighed the challenges and included: praying being therapeutic, religion providing support and helping define the students’ life purpose and identity. The implications of the study are discussed in relation to raising awareness about the importance of mutual respect, moving beyond religious tolerance to fully inclusive education and improving the integration of religious students in tertiary environments through curricular and co-curricular activities and programmes. Recommendations for future research include a greater focus on assessing the extent of the challenges religious tertiary students’ experience, and examining whether students of particular religious traditions experience unique challenges and benefits.
Isolating Madness: Photographs from Seacliff Lunatic Asylum, 1887-1907
Authors:   , Laing Elizabeth
Published: November 2021

Frederic Truby King (1858-1938) is an eminent figure in New Zealand history. His name continues to flourish in contemporary society, due in part to its affiliation with the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society. However, the general populace is still relatively unaware of the time that King spent employed as the medical superintendent of Seacliff Lunatic Asylum, on the remote outskirts of Dunedin. The prevailing image of King during this period is of a single-minded physician, whose career was in a state of acceleration towards the establishment of Plunket. But historians like Barbara Brookes and Catherine Coleborne have rightly started to establish this epoch as significant in its own right. This thesis extends their work by engaging with previously unpublished casebook photographs of patients in King’s care, taken between 1887 and 1907, from the restricted Seacliff Lunatic Asylum archives. Through six case studies, this thesis draws connections between these photographs and the paradigms established by such internationally renowned photographers as Hugh W. Diamond and James Crichton-Browne. It then discusses some distinctive photographs that appear unique to this institutional environment, images that challenge our preconceived notions of psychiatric institutions and their functions. This visual history complicates, and sometimes even challenges, the argument about psychiatric institutions and disciplinary power proposed by Michel Foucault and John Tagg, by demonstrating the diverse forms of photography that can occur within a single institution. This study is part of a growing body of research on the Seacliff Lunatic Asylum archives. In using a largely untapped source of photographic history, this project will contribute to future research on similar topics.
The Photochemistry of Organic Materials for Photonic Devices
Authors:   , Middleton Ayla Penelope
Published: November 2021

Optically active organic chromophores have attracted much interest in recent years for their potential for use in photonic devices. Chromophores such as compound (1) have been found to have a very high second order nonlinear susceptibility ( β ) value of 650 × 10⁻³⁰esu in dimethyl formamide.¹ The performance of 1 in a polymer film is much lower than this due to the formation of aggregates which hinder the poling process necessary to ensure a noncentrosymmetric arrangement of the molecules in order to display second order nonlinear behaviour.  The molecular aggregation behaviour of a set of second order nonlinear compounds based on compound 1 have been studied in this thesis. These compounds share the backbone shown in figure 1 with pendant groups added to the R₁ R₂ and R₃ positions, with the aim of finding substituent groups that can be added to the optically active merocyanine backbone that reduce the aggregation and increase the solubility of the compounds. This in turn will make them more suitable for use in photonics devices.  It was found that a C₁₁H₂₃ alkyl chain added to the R₃ position made the largest contribution to decreasing aggregation. Bulky groups on the R₁ and R₂ positions also reduced aggregation. As a result compounds 5 and 8, with R₃ = C₁₁H₂₃ and bulky groups attached displayed the least aggregation of the compounds studied.  ¹ See Figure 1 (pg. i): Merocyanine backbone with substituent positions marked.
A decay of rights: The decision in New Health New Zealand Inc v South Taranaki District Council
Authors:   , Goss Rose Louise
Published: November 2021

The decision in New Health New Zealand Inc v South Taranaki District Council is the most recent legal development in the New Zealand debate about fluoridation of public water supplies. That decision centred on the interpretation of section 11 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, the right to refuse medical treatment. The Court held that the fluoridation in question was legal, and reached a limited definition of medical treatment that did not encompass fluoridation. This paper analyses the reasoning leading to that interpretation, concluding that the decision is problematic and that the definition of s 11 needs to be remedied. The use of the wording of s 11 to limit the definition of medical treatment was inappropriate, as was the policy reasoning used to support that limitation. The structure of reasoning followed exacerbated these issues and adhered too closely to the reasoning in United States cases. Furthermore, the application of a de minimis threshold was conducted without adequate scrutiny, and such a threshold should not be applied to s 11.
R v Mika: An investigation into the Court of Appeal’s neglect of s 27 of the Sentencing Act 2002
Authors:   , Harland Nina W.
Published: November 2021

The Court of Appeal in the case of R v Mika failed to engage with section 27 of the Sentencing Act 2002 in dismissing Mr Mika’s appeal against his sentence. In both the High Court and Court of Appeal the focus was on Mr Mika’s argument for a discount of 10 per cent to be applied to his sentence to reflect his Māori heritage and associated social disadvantages. Section 27 of the Sentencing Act would allow a court to take into account cultural information regarding Maori offenders’ backgrounds and the systemic disadvantages stemming from this. In dismissing Mika’s appeal, the Court erred in not considering the clear signals from Parliament that the judiciary were to take into account Maori offenders’ backgrounds at the sentencing stage through s 27 in an effort to fit appropriate sentences to Maori offenders. Recent developments in Canada have seen the Canadian judiciary recognise their role in the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the Canadian prison population. The New Zealand judiciary can take lessons from the willingness of the Canadian judiciary to take cultural information into account at sentencing.
Exploiting the crowd: The New Zealand response to equity crowd funding
Authors:   , Hillind Henry William
Published: November 2021

The crowd funding exclusion in the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 allows issuers, often innovative start-up businesses, to raise up to $2,000,000 in a 12 month period from retail investors through an internet platform provided by a licensed intermediary service, without the need for the product disclosure statement and on-line disclosures usually required under Part 3 of the Act. In order to protect the interests of investors in a market with a high risk of negligible return, other protections need to be provided. International jurisdictions have imposed investor caps, but New Zealand has failed to do so. This essay argues that, particularly in light of shortcomings with other aspects of crowd funding investor protections, a mandatory investor cap of five per cent of the amount being raised should be imposed, to protect investors both from the high risks of venture capital investing and from their own inexperience in this new and rapidly developing market.
Unsubstantiated representations: An unsubstantiated reform?
Authors:   , Lynskey Thomas William Robert
Published: November 2021

This essay analyses the recent amendment to the Fair Trading Act 1986 that created a prohibition of “unsubstantiated representations” in trade. The reform process presented an opportunity to bring the FTA in line with recent amendments to the Australian law that had addressed the same issues. However, New Zealand opted to go further. This essay traces the prohibition through the wider consumer law reform process to investigate how the final provision was arrived at. By critically analysing the process that led to the amendments, the essay suggests that the decision to create a prohibition was based on flawed reasoning. In particular, it is argued that New Zealand should have followed the Australian approach, and that creating a prohibition has instead produced unnecessary liability in the absence of sufficient justification.
New Zealand's Identity and New Zealand-Japan Relations: 1945-2014
Authors:   , Harris Holly
Published: November 2021

This thesis seeks to understand the role of New Zealand’s national identity in the Japan-New Zealand relationship to examine how identities and values have shaped New Zealand’s policies and diplomatic interaction with Japan. Four key identities are identified which contribute to New Zealand’s national self-image as a whole and illustrate the malleability of identity; the historically cultural British identity, the “search for independence” moral identity, the construction of an Asia Pacific state identity and the perception of New Zealand as a ‘good international citizen’ with liberally democratic values. To explore the role these identities and New Zealand’s perceptions of Japan have had on shaping bilateral relations, this thesis analyses multiple issues and policy decisions from 1945 till 2014 using the theoretical framework of Constructivism. It draws from a range of secondary literature, government documents, news sources, official speeches and various organisation’s publications from throughout this time frame. The research seeks to give a better understanding of how New Zealand’s national identity has evolved over time in response to domestic affairs and examine how it has contributed to shaping New Zealand’s relationship with Japan. It uncovers that the Japan-New Zealand relationship has developed significantly in the last seventy years and the role of identity can offer explanations regarding the ways in which New Zealand’s understanding of itself has helped shape its bilateral relationship with Japan.
Mountain bikers' attitudes towards mountain biking tourism destinations
Authors:   , Moularde Julie
Published: November 2021

This thesis, grounded in consumer culture theory, delves into the sociocultural dynamics involved in tourist attitude content and formation. It addresses gaps in special interest tourism, sports tourism and tourist attitudes towards destinations literatures and further knowledge of mountain biking tourism, a niche, but growing, market. Qualitative methods grounded in interpretivism were used to understand how mountain bikers purposefully traveling to mountain bike tourism destinations form attitudes towards these destinations. Twenty-five mountain bikers from Wellington who qualified as serious leisure participants and had previously travelled for the primary purpose of mountain biking were interviewed.  Social influence – through social ties, interactions and subcultural involvement – plays a central role in the respondents’ travel motivations and information search process, and thus influences attitude formation, strength and content. Therefore, the respondents are grouped based on centrality of mountain biking identity and subsequent desire to align with the subculture, and differences in attitude formation processes are highlighted. The respondents hold positive attitudes towards most destinations, emphasizing the need to investigate attitude strength and degree of positivity. Four main evaluative dimensions of attitudes are detailed (adventurous, natural, social and utilitarian). It is established that attitudes towards tourism destinations are (1) a qualitative evaluation of the experience anticipated or enabled rather that a quantitative appraisal of attributes, (2) continuously adjusted from the point of naïve awareness onwards, and (3) most relevant and revealing when operationalised as holistic summary evaluations rather than interrelated components. Based on an increased understanding of attitudes towards mountain biking tourism destinations, their formation and mountain biking subculture, recommendations are drawn to better design, maintain and promote sites.
Responsibly Engaged: Ideology and Utopia along the Backpacker Trail
Authors:   , Bohn Sonja
Published: November 2021

By following the backpacker trail beyond the 'tourist bubble,' travellers invest in the ideals of freedom, engagement, and responsibility. Backpacker discourse foregrounds travellers' freedom to mobility as it constructs the world as 'tourable'; engagement is demonstrated in the search for 'authentic' connections with cultural Others, beyond the reach of globalised capitalism; responsibility is shouldered by yearning to improve the lives of these Others, through capitalist development. While backpackers frequently question the attainability of these ideals, aspiring to them reveals a desire for a world that is open, diverse, and egalitarian. My perspective is framed by Fredric Jameson's reading of the interrelated concepts of ideology and utopia. While backpacker discourse functions ideologically to reify and obscure global inequalities, to entrench free market capitalism, and to limit the imagining of alternatives, it also figures for a utopian world in which such ideology is not necessary. Using this approach, I attempt to undertake critique of backpacker ideology without invalidating its utopian content, while seeking to reveal its limits. Overall, I suggest that late-capitalism subsumes utopian desires for a better way of living by presenting itself as the solution. This leaves backpackers feeling stranded, seeking to escape the ills of capitalism, via capitalism.
Politicians Gone Wild: A Comparative Analysis of Political Scandals in New Zealand, The United States and France
Authors:   , Argyle Elizabeth
Published: November 2021

The place of political scandals in the academic literature is contentious; scandals are commonly dismissed as distractions from the ‘real issues’ in a society. This thesis challenges that notion, instead arguing that political scandals are an important phenomenon in functioning democracies. Through a comparative lens, political transgressions since the year 2000 that have occurred in three liberal democracies, New Zealand, the United States and France, have been analysed. Transgressions by political actors in these jurisdictions of a sexual, financial and power nature have been applied to previously established frameworks. Observations about the political culture of these countries have been made as a result of this analysis. Four existing theories on the significance of political scandal – the functionalist theory of scandal, the no consequence theory, the trivialisation theory and social theory – were also tested. The social theory of scandal is concluded to be the most applicable to the case studies assessed. The social theory of scandal argues that political scandals can foster cultures of debate and criticism which is important to functioning democracies; however, political scandals of a large magnitude or high frequency can damage the public’s perception of political actors and institutions. This analysis therefore serves as evidence that political scandals are not frivolous occurrences but instead are important indicators of societal values and can have important and lasting consequences. This thesis also considers political scandals in broader historical and cultural contexts, drawing attention to the pervasiveness of scandal as a topic of academic and public interest.
Traumatic Bonding and Intimate Partner Violence
Authors:   , George Vera
Published: November 2021

Intimate partner violence is a pervasive and highly detrimental phenomenon. One common aspect of abusive relationships is a reluctance to leave one’s partner. With this in mind, the current study explored the role of Stockholm syndrome in abusive relationships. Study 1 and 2 surveyed 508 diverse adults. Study 1 submitted the Stockholm syndrome scale to psychometric testing and confirmed a 3-factor solution for the scale. The three components are Core, justifying an abuser through cognitive distortions; Damage, ongoing psychological effects of abuse; and Love, the belief that one’s survival depends on the love of an abuser. Study 2 tested the predictive qualities of the scale and found that its components are linked to relationship violence in a predictable fashion. These links may be moderated by insecure attachment. Study 3 analysed dyadic data from 86 couples and found positive associations between levels of Core and relationship violence, both within and across partners. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Should dementia sufferers be punished for past crimes?
Authors:   , Jeffares Amelia
Published: November 2021

This paper examines whether we ought to prosecute historic offences committed by people who have subsequently developed dementia. Currently, a person with dementia might avoid conviction on the basis of their currently diminished capacity. They may be unfit to plead, for example. The problem is that advanced dementia may undermine persistence of personal identity. Once someone develops dementia, they may no longer be the person who committed the crime. If so, they would not need to be excused for their offending. They would simply not be liable. If we think persistence of personal identity is based on psychological factors – as most of us do – a person with advanced dementia will not be the same person as the one who committed the crime. They will not deserve prosecution, never mind punishment. This issue has been overlooked by legal theorists. Although much has been written on the legal significance of dementia, it has been primarily in the context of advance directives or decision-making capacity. I will argue that advanced dementia is a challenge to criminal responsibility.
Means and methods of combat - differing parameters and requirements of military necessity in international humanitarian law and international criminal law
Authors:   , Gallagher James
Published: November 2021

The concept of military necessity is of fundamental importance for International Humanitarian Law (IHL), International Criminal Law (ICL) and International Law, generally. States and individuals have used military necessity as a justification when extraordinary situations “require the adoption of measures departing from the normally applicable law in order to protect basic values and fundamental interests.”1 Measures adopted on the grounds of necessity have been accepted at international law by international courts and tribunals, state practice, and international legal doctrine. This paper will analyse and explain the origins of military necessity under IHL, and how military necessity’s use has developed and influenced the behaviour of actors at international law, primarily during times of armed conflict. Furthermore, this paper will seek to establish the role that military necessity plays at ICL. This will be done by analysing various case law examples of international tribunals where the tribunals have been asked to determine whether military necessity constituted a legitimate justification for a particular course of action taken by an individual, primarily in positions of command. This paper will highlight the circumstances where a legitimate finding of military necessity existed, and will contrast this to occasion where actions did not meet the required threshold. It will also seek to determine how military necessity is interpreted and understood by various international organisations such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), the United Nations (UN), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The paper will begin with by providing an overview of the origins of military necessity under IHL and how it has evolved in its interpretation and usage by authors writing on military necessity, and states seeking to utilise it.
Repression and Realism in Postwar American Literature 1945-1955
Authors:   , Mercer Erin
Published: November 2021

This thesis focuses on the uncanny in literature produced in America during the first decade following World War II. The period between 1945 and 1955 was marked by repressive socio-political forces such as McCarthyism and cultural conformity which complicated the representation of what Philip Roth refers to as "demonic reality." I explore the ways in which the avoidance and minimisation of the unpleasant created a highly circumscribed version of postwar American life while also generating a sense of objectless anxiety. According to the theories of Sigmund Freud, repression inevitably stages a return registered as the "uncanny." Animism, magic, the omnipotence of thoughts, the castration complex, death, the double, madness, involuntary repetition compulsion, live burial and haunting are all deemed capable of provoking a particular anxiety connected to what lies beneath the surface of accepted reality. Although it is common to argue that fantasy genres such as science fiction and gothic represent the return of what is repressed, this thesis explores several realist novels displaying uncanny characteristics. The realist novels included here are uncanny not only because they depict weird automaton-like characters, haunting, and castration anxieties, thus exhibiting a conscious use of Freudian theory, but because the texts themselves act as the return of the repressed. Norman Mailer referred to this unsettling phenomenon when he described writing as the "spooky" art; spooky because although a writer might sit down to consciously write a particular story, another unwilled story might very well appear.
Women’s Traditional Knowledge and Sustainable Development in Rural Sialkot, Pakistan
Authors:   , Munawar-Ishfaq Sadia
Published: November 2021

Sustainable development has become a global imperative in recent times that needs to be taken seriously more than ever before. While it is globally acknowledged that sustainable development is indispensible to holistic global development, inadequate attention has been paid to alternative modes of achieving sustainability, examples of which exist in traditional knowledge systems of many rural and indigenous communities. This research tries to explore the intricate link between traditional knowledge studies and sustainable development, with a particular focus on the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of human welfare. This is done by placing the concepts of ‘traditional knowledge’ and ‘sustainable development’ in the wider development framework, and by analysing their theoretical and practical underpinnings at the global and local level. Drawing upon a research carried out in Pakistan, the study adds to an existing body of literature that confirms that traditional knowledges of rural women are a valuable resource, which can constructively contribute to sustainable development objectives. The evidence is collected from four villages in rural Sialkot, where elderly women were interviewed about their knowledge systems and changing social roles in the context of local socioeconomic and environmental change. A major finding of the study is that local women’s traditional knowledge, which has for long provided the foundation for sustainable living, is being displaced as globalisation invades rural life. This is indirectly resulting in a loss of sustainable livelihoods and local biodiversity. The problem is aggravated by the low value that is attached to indigenous know-how and practice at the community, and national and international level. The thesis concludes that women’s indigenous knowledge needs to be recognised and mainstreamed in important development strategies in Pakistan for a more inclusive development.
Quantifying, Predicting and Promoting Edible Gardening in Eastbourne, Aotearoa, New Zealand
Authors:   , Lake Barbara
Published: November 2021

Urban edible gardening has potential economic, social, environmental, resiliency and sustainability benefits. Due to these benefits researchers are calling for effective behaviour change measures to increase the uptake of urban edible gardening. Responding to this need, the objectives of this study were to quantify and predict participation in edible gardening in Eastbourne, Aotearoa, New Zealand, in order to generate a greater understanding of the behaviour on which to base recommendations for its effective promotion. This is the first study to quantify the relative influence of psycho-social factors on edible gardening and use the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as a conceptual framework.

Results showed that 89% of respondents participated in edible gardening, although the extent of their participation was limited. Furthermore, perceived behavioural control was the psycho-social factor which had the greatest influence on edible gardening intention and behaviour. Results also indicated that lack of sufficient skills, knowledge, time, space and sun were the greatest barriers to edible gardening in Eastbourne, making these factors the logical targets of behaviour change interventions. Community Based Social Marketing tools were considered as a framework for providing recommendations for lowering these barriers and increasing participation in edible gardening.