bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Towards an Ethical Aestheticism: Christianity, Christhood and Martyrdom in the Fiction of Oscar Wilde
Authors:   , Pope-Mayell Shey 
Published: December 2021

<p>Oscar Wilde is part of our world. With his dandyish witticisms and decadent demeanour, he continues to serve as a model of subversive grace, an aesthetic beacon drawing his readers towards a lighthouse of beauty, even more than a century after his death. Few would suspect that Wilde’s work should offer any ethical guidance, given the tendency of fin-de-siècle aestheticism to place artistic beauty above ethical concerns. It is the purpose of this thesis to argue otherwise. The aim of this thesis is twofold. First, it intends to show that Wilde’s fiction, from his early fairy stories to his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is connected by a common interest in Christian ethics. Second, and more ambitiously, it intends to disprove the notion that aestheticism and ethics are irreconcilable. Throughout his work, Wilde develops an image of an aesthetic Jesus Christ, a martyr of beauty. Wilde dedicates much of his fictional oeuvre to illustrating this vision of Christ, usually through martyrdom and the relinquishment of selfhood. In doing so, this thesis argues that he connects artistic beauty with Christian ethics, synthesising an ethical aestheticism, only achievable through self-sacrifice in service of love – the aesthetic ideal. This kind of aesthetic martyrdom is present throughout Wilde’s fiction, the most commonly cited examples coming from two of his early fairy stories, “The Happy Prince” and “The Nightingale and the Rose” respectively. In these stories, the titular characters work to realise the vision of the aesthetic Christ – what this thesis calls his ‘aesthetic ideal’ – and achieve a higher appreciation of beauty, both bodily and immaterial. Christianity, this thesis finally argues, is the basis for Wilde’s ethical aestheticism and it is Christian ethics that Wilde uses to orientate his readers towards aesthetic Christhood, not with the cold, judging hand of a Victorian preacher but the warm, caring shoulder-pat of an aesthetic father-figure.</p>
Give, and it shall be given unto you? The effects of corporate philanthropy on reputation following natural disasters
Authors:   , Bennett-Longley Guy 
Published: December 2021

<p>Conventional logic suggests that businesses should look inwards following natural disasters to ensure employee welfare, and minimise disruptions to operations. However, disasters afford the opportunity to administer corporate philanthropy to affected communities, providing a non- reciprocal gift of money or in-kind services. Philanthropic aid results in commercial benefits for firms, including strengthened financial performance, employee motivation, and reputation. While businesses are increasingly cognisant of their moral responsibilities, few studies examine consumer reactions to corporate philanthropy during a disaster. This research aims to address gaps in extant knowledge, examining the impact of non-reciprocal giving on consumer perceptions of corporate reputation. Further, it seeks to better understand the effect of consumer scepticism and ethnocentrism on evaluations of giving. Three studies were employed to satisfy the research objectives, utilising a between-subjects experimental design. Study 1A manipulates types of corporate responses after the 2016 Kaikōura 7.8-magnitude earthquake (monetary, voluntary time, forgoing giving to recover internally), and measures consumer scepticism. The results demonstrate that monetary and employee time donations have an equivalent positive impact on perceptions of reputation. Forgoing philanthropy is viewed significantly worse, leading to negative evaluations of reputation. Low scepticism consumers assess reputation more positively than those suspicious of the corporate motives for giving. Focusing on employee voluntary time, Study 1B shows that philanthropy administered by companies suffering adverse impacts to operations garner more positive evaluations of reputation than uninterrupted organisations. Study 2 compares domestic (2016 Kaikōura earthquake) and overseas relief (2018 New Caledonia earthquake), measuring the impact of ethnocentrism on preferences for giving. Interestingly, there are no differences in evaluations between high and low ethnocentrism consumers in each geographic context. The overall findings suggest that companies should look beyond their own interests following disasters, administering non-reciprocal giving to generate reputational benefits. Moreover, firms suffering direct adverse impacts are uniquely positioned to generate the strongest reputation gains from giving, fostering moral capital through selfless offerings. Although, sceptical consumer predispositions dilute such benefits, suggesting that businesses cannot simply rely on giving as a panacea to reputational concerns. A natural disaster context also suspends the influence of ethnocentrism on geographic preferences for philanthropy, meaning managers should assess the perceived needs of benefactors when determining where to give.</p>
Testing Grounds and Launching Pads: Situating the Artist-Run Space Today
Authors:   , Bugden Emma 
Published: December 2021

<p>My research is concerned with the formation of artists as creative subjects in an increasingly neoliberalised art world. This study examines to what extent does the artist-run space offer alternatives to current neoliberal orthodoxy in the art world. There has been little research to understand the lived experiences of emerging visual artists within neoliberalism. The thesis is located in museum studies but stretches beyond this field in an interdisciplinary approach to explore the complexity of what it means to both make art and self-organise. The thesis presents multiple case-study research into three New Zealand artist-run spaces; RM, Enjoy Contemporary Art Space and Meanwhile. Qualitative research brings the experiences of artist-run space participants to the fore through interviews, examining how they understand and articulate their involvement, negotiate tensions over power, and position themselves in an art world that seeks to enfold them in its own narratives. I analyse and discuss the findings through a series of connecting theoretical frameworks—assemblage theory, creative labour and governmentality—which together map the distinct practices that shape, and reshape, the artist-run space. My research contributes to literature on creative workers within neoliberalism, providing new knowledge about tactics and strategies deployed by emerging visual artists to carve space for their activities on their own terms. The thesis argues that while artist-run spaces are embedded in the mainstream through both networks of strategic reciprocity and funding imperatives, the nuances which define an individual artist-run space are both broader and messier than their increasingly formal structure suggests. The identity formation of the artists and creative workers whose hard work and passion keep artist-run spaces going is similarly compromised, confounding simplistic readings. I propose that the notion of ‘alternative’ is too binary an understanding to describe artist-run spaces within a time of neoliberalism, instead, this thesis seeks to complicate and problematise the term.</p>
Realism in Data-Based Terrain Synthesis
Authors:   , Scott Joshua 
Published: December 2021

<p>The landscapes on Earth are varied and complex, having been created by innumerous physical processes over millions of years. The creation of artificial terrain that replicates the realism of landscapes on Earth has been a major challenge for computer graphics. Many different approaches have been taken, including approximating the terrain with fractals and splines, simulating the terrain using models from the physical geography, and reconstructing terrain from elements of real-world data. A primary issue in the field of terrain synthesis is the lack of, and evaluation of, realism in synthesized terrain. This thesis identifies and discusses the flaws of existing data-based methods based on example-based texture synthesis methods. It provides improvements to an existing data-based method using algorithms from the field of geographic information science, and presents a novel algorithm, ``terrain-optimization'', based on the example-based texture synthesis technique of texture-optimization. Finally, it discusses a new approach to the experimental evaluation of terrain realism, with the largest experiment conducted to date. The results of this show that each of the tested methods is indistinguishable from reality in certain circumstances and that those circumstances differ for each method tested, and that subjects with a high level of expertise in physical geography are the most qualified for identifying real terrain from synthesized terrain. Overall, the thesis provides substantial analysis and evidence about the challenges of data-based terrain synthesis while also developing new approaches in the field that perform as well as existing state-of-the-art methods.</p>
O le Aso Ma le Filiga, O le Aso Mata’igatila. A qualitative study looking at Samoan language maintenance within second generation households
Authors:   , Paongo-Parsons Leitumalo 
Published: December 2021

<p>Samoan language within Aotearoa New Zealand has been labelled as “at risk” of becoming an endangered language if language shift continues (Hunkin, 2012; Wilson, 2017). Language shift or language loss is defined as when a speech community gradually stops using one of its two languages in favour of the other, in this case English (Ravindrantha, 2009). The Samoan population is the largest community of the Pacific diaspora living in Aotearoa New Zealand. However, the use and maintenance of the Samoan language is rapidly declining. Although community-led initiatives have led to establishing of Aoga ‘Amata (Samoan language and culture immersion preschool), Pacific Islands Early Childhood Association (PIECA) and the establishing of Samoan Studies departments within tertiary institutions, there continues to be an urgent need for government support and the implementation of Pacific language policies to ensure the continued use and protection of Samoan and other Pacific languages within the realm of Aotearoa New Zealand. The three research questions framing this investigation are as follows: 1.	How do the second and third generation Samoans view language and culture as contributing to their identity? 2.	Where are second and third generation Samoans using and learning Samoan? 3.	Is there a relationship between wellbeing and language shift? O le Filiga Afa, a qualitative research methodology, was born out of this research in response to the need for a culturally responsive framework. Data was gathered through focus group and one-to-one discussions and included New Zealand - born Samoan - speaking and non-Samoan - speaking Samoan participants. Key findings from this study include: •	All participants had a deep yearning for maintaining and revitalising their heritage languages; •	Language, culture and identity are intertwined and cannot be separated from one another; •	The role of elders, genealogy and the connection to culture contributes significantly towards the reinforcing and the maintenance of the Samoan language. •	A strong connection can be found between language shift and one’s wellbeing</p>
Synthesis of small molecule inhibitors for the treatment of disease
Authors:   , Corkran Hilary Mary 
Published: December 2021

<p>Three aspects of the protecting-group-free (PGF) synthesis of small molecules have been described in this thesis. In the first part, the PGF azasugar synthesis methodology was applied to 2-deoxy-D-glucose with the intention of selectively forming the six-membered azasugar 5-epi-fagomine. Surprisingly, four products were formed in the key I2-mediated carbamate annulation step, with a pyrrolidine being the major product after optimisation. This was formed in 15% yield. A mechanism that explains the formation of the four carbamates was proposed, which was supported by an investigation into related halocyclisation reactions. The next part of this thesis describes the development of a new PGF methodology for the synthesis of conduramines, another class of biologically interesting molecules. Conduramines are amino polyhydroxy cyclohexenes and some conduramines have glycosidase inhibitory activity. These molecules are also useful precursors to a variety of biologically useful molecules including aminocyclitols and azasugars. The key steps in the PGF synthesis of conduramines are a Vasella-Barbier amination, a reaction that forms new C-C and C-N bonds concomitantly, and a ring closing metathesis in the presence of free hydroxyl and amine groups. To this end, a 4-deoxy 3-conduramine was prepared in just four steps and in 27% yield. Finally, the preparation of an amine library and its biological testing for the identification of a new anti-tuberculosis drug is described. Two short syntheses were used to prepare alkenylamines and amines from the corresponding sugar, with various lipophilic groups attached to the amine. A 20-member amine library was prepared, and the compounds were tested for anti-mycobacterial activity in a mycobacterial growth inhibition assay. The most active compounds were subjected to further biological testing to determine their general cytotoxic properties. Two amines, arabinohexadecylamine and arabinohexadecylmethylamine, were identified as having the best potential for use as anti-tuberculosis drugs, and have been sent to Colorado State University for subsequent in vivo testing in a mouse model of tuberculosis.</p>
Understanding the impacts of humanitarian Menstrual Health Management for women’s confidence and agency: A case study on the Thai/Burma border
Authors:   , Bardsley Tessa 
Published: December 2021

<p>Menstrual Health Management (MHM) is a growing focus within global humanitarian and development work. MHM aims to increase women and girls’ ability to care for their menstruating bodies through period products, hygiene facilities and education. It also seeks to challenge wider barriers that women face during menstruation – stigma, shame and ‘period poverty’ (the lack of access to menstrual products). NGOs promote ‘menstrual activism’ campaigns to ‘Reduce the stigma’ and ‘Help women and girls. Period.’ They tell stories of girls who, with their menstrual products, can now attend school during their period. Academic studies into the complexities of such programmes are sparse, however; particularly studies which privilege the experiences of the women involved and affected. Research on menstruation within the humanitarian field is also limited. This is despite the fact that women living in refugee camps and precarious spaces can have heightened difficulties due to scarcity of menstrual resources, disruption of support networks and facilities with inadequate privacy. Contextually and culturally embedded research that recognises the contributions and perspectives of these women can strengthen humanitarian MHM programmes and scholarship so that menstruating women can feel confidence and agency rather than stigma and shame. In light of these gaps, this study investigates Partners Relief & Development’s (Partners) ‘Days for Girls’ menstrual health programme in Thailand. The programme employs migrant women from Burma to make reusable menstrual hygiene kits and donates these kits to women in conflict-affected areas. The research worked within a feminist epistemology and mixed-methods methodology informed by principles of Appreciative Inquiry, to explore what is working well and what could be improved in Partners’ menstrual health programme. It involved refugees and migrants from Myanmar living over the border in Thailand, as well as the programme’s staff. Through thematic analysis, I found that the Days for Girls programme improves women’s agency (through increased community participation) and confidence (through menstrual literacy and menstrual provision). For the women who sew the Days for Girls kits, confidence and agency are also gained through income and skills-education. The strengths and challenges of Partners’ programme reveal the importance of menstrual literacy education, the use of women’s knowledge in NGO work with women, and a whole-of-community response to menstruation needs. The research also informs wider understandings of how MHM discourse and development practice affects menstrual stigma.</p>
Contemporary Taonga: The Art Works of Brett Graham
Authors:   , White Anna-Marie 
Published: December 2021

<p>The production of taonga is a sovereign Māori tradition closely guarded in contemporary Māori society. Many Contemporary Māori Artists observe taonga principles in their work though these qualities are stifled within the New Zealand art system. In the 1990s these subjects were fiercely debated resulting in Contemporary Māori Art being defined differently to the ancestral tradition of taonga. This debate created a rupture, which disturbs the practice of Māori art and is a major concern in the emerging practice of Māori art history. Reviving earlier arguments for Contemporary Māori Art to be defined according to the principles of taonga, this thesis applies the concept of ‘contemporary taonga’ to the art works of Brett Graham (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura), to argue that taonga production is active in contemporary Māori life and offers a new method to reconcile Māori art histories. The practice of Kaupapa Māori research and theory enlivened the taonga principles of Brett Graham’s art works. Intensive accounts of two art works, produced a decade apart, reveal ‘contemporary taonga’ to be a collaborative process involving recognition and instrumentalisation by authoritative Māori viewers. Kahukura (1996), produced in response to the debates was, however, overwhelmed by competing interests of the time. Āniwaniwa (2006) undertook an arduous journey—to the centre of the Western art world in order to be shown within the artist’s tribal rohe—where Ngāti Koroki Kahukura kaumātua recognised Graham as a tohunga. Iwi leaders also employed Āniwaniwa in their Treaty of Waitangi claims process, functionalising the art work as taonga to support the advancement of their people. Āniwaniwa then left New Zealand to play a role in the formalisation of an international indigenous art network. As a type for contemporary taonga, Āniwaniwa is an expansive model to introduce this concept to contemporary art discourse. The impact of this concept is yet to be realised though immediately reconciles long-standing issues in Māori art. ‘Contemporary taonga’ has the potential to radically reconcieve, and reorganise, Contemporary Māori Art practice and history according to the practice of ancestral Māori traditions and determined by the authority and agency of Māori people.</p>
Developing collaborative leadership practices in the Singapore early childhood education (ECE) context through professional learning communities (PLCs)
Authors:   , Vijayadevar Sukuna Devi 
Published: December 2021

<p>Leadership in early childhood education (ECE) has been promoted as a collaborative process in which all teachers, rather than just the positional leader, are involved (Thornton, 2010). Collaborative leadership practices are not well understood within the Singapore ECE context. Beyond mandatory leadership training, little is known how leaders are supported to strengthen their leadership practices and involve others in leadership activities. School-based literature suggests that learning through professional learning communities (PLCs) expands the collective capacity of organisations, however, literature on PLCs in ECE is limited. Located within an interpretive paradigm, this study employed a primarily qualitative approach with a supplementary quantitative strand. This mixed method design, encapsulated within a single embedded exploratory case study, embedded both face-to-face and online PLC processes over a period of 8 months. Qualitative data included both face-to-face and online activities whereas for the quantitative data the study used an adapted version of the PLCA-R survey designed by Olivier, Hipp and Huffman (2010). Participants in two PLCs established as part of this study were six principals from an anchor group childcare provider and five principals from private childcare centres in Singapore. Two teachers working with each of the respective principals were also involved in focus group interviews to ascertain if there were changes in their principals’ leadership practices. Data were collected from PLC meetings, online reflections, pre- and post-PLC interviews with the principals and follow-up focus group discussions with the teachers. Key findings suggest that praxis as a result of participation in their PLC led to some shifts in principals’ thinking about collaborative leadership practices and resulted in changes to their leadership approaches, sharing of practices, distribution of leadership and improved collegiality and collaborative learning for teachers. Principals who participated in the study also indicated that the collaborative learning culture fostered through their PLC reduced their professional isolation and helped them to integrate ideas into practice. The study contributes to an understanding that considering and implementing collaborative leadership practices through PLCs, a collaborative learning model contextualised in Anglo-American settings, in the Singapore ECE context requires sensitivity towards Asian Singapore socio-cultural values related to hierarchy and economic pragmatism.</p>
News, renewed: Towards a sustainable business model for online journalism
Authors:   , Clark Alexander Colin 
Published: December 2021

<p>The News, Renewed project was established to pursue the following core objectives: 1) To identify the most promising business model for funding online journalism, through academic research. 2) To enable implementation of the most promising monetisation strategy, through the development of a technology enterprise. From March to April 2014, Alex Clark conducted an online survey completed by 416 consumers, assessing willingness to pay for ten online monetisation strategies. Strategies assessed include: payment-per-article, a payment-to-remove advertising, crowdfunding, donations, a mobile application, a ‘freemium’ model (charging only for premium content), a standalone subscription to a single news website, a national package of all news websites in New Zealand, a global package of all news websites in the world, as well as a multimedia package containing news, music, television and movies. Survey data revealed that strategies embracing global bundling were most popular with respondents. While only one respondent (0.24%) said they would ‘definitely’ pay for a standalone subscription at $10 per month (NZD), 23 respondents (5.4%) said they’d definitely pay for a global news package, and 46 (10.8%) said they’d definitely pay for a news and multimedia package. Consumer preference for global bundling remained strong when viewing survey data through other analytical lenses, such as an aggregate of ‘probably’ and ‘definitely’ responses, as well as estimated conversion rates calculated using Predicted Purchase Intent values. Upon completion of the survey, Alex worked with two developers to create PressPass, a platform focused on enabling the implementation of a bundling strategy by the journalism community. Once a prototype had been developed, Alex met with leading news organisations within New Zealand and the USA to share his findings and seek feedback about his proposed solution. In New Zealand, he met with NZME, TVNZ and MediaWorks. In the USA, he met with the New York Times, The Economist and National Geographic. The News, Renewed thesis analyses the qualitative and quantitative findings from Alex’s consumer survey, while also providing qualitative insights from his interviews with industry leaders. The thesis has been submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Advanced Technology Enterprise at Victoria University of Wellington.</p>