bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Future is Curatorial! Reconceptualising Curation Through Material Culture
Authors:   , Schrader Reuben 
Published: November 2021

<p>Objects, though the material stuff of curating, occupy a peripheral role in curatorial theory and practice. Art and museum curating both promote relational and ideological positions that centre on certain people, excluding less prominent participants and objects alike. Although all these groups have been examined at length for their discursive qualities, their active processes are still mostly unclear. Developments in material culture theory suggest the need for re-evaluation of the relationship between objects, curators, and audiences, based on these processes. This dissertation is an attempt to construct a concept of curating that begins with objects, the circumstances in which they take part, and the effects they have on the people around them. This investigation into the operations of people and things approaches the subject with an interdisciplinary eye, drawing upon art history, media studies, material culture studies, sociology, anthropology, and other fields. They are linked by a strongly qualitative methodology, which incorporates the researcher's own subjective experiences with a conceptual framework derived from Deleuze and Guattari and Bruno Latour. The use of a rhizomatic perspective based on movement, emergence, and opportunity opens up a series of alternative methodological and analytical approaches. With these tools, four creative works are examined and discussed as singular objects and guides to further generalisation. The research suggests a degree of complexity and potential within objects that is rarely considered. Peoples' interactions with objects mean they share in that potential, opening up the static and structured roles previously addressed. A series of curatorial practices are derived from these findings, expanding the definition of 'curator' by allowing for the exercise of distinct curatorial functions beyond the institution. This dissertation serves as a starting point for a democratic reconceptualisation of curating, based on processes rather than end points, involving the public as curatorial agents.</p>
Informal Relationships Between New Zealand SMEs and Sub-National Officials in China
Authors:   , Romayne Gavin 
Published: November 2021

<p>The signing of a free trade agreement was a watershed moment in New Zealand-China relations and provided a number of advantages for New Zealand firms seeking to expand their presence in the Chinese market. However, it is well established that many businesses in China use informal relationships (guanxi) to create business opportunities and facilitate their way through bureaucratic obstacles. Doubts have also been raised in the past about local governments’ implementing China’s international agreements and about the current efficacy and reliability of China’s legal institutions. This thesis examines the informal relationships New Zealand SMEs based in China maintain with local officials and street-level bureaucrats and how they experienced the implementation of the FTA. Interviews with New Zealand businesspeople in Shanghai and Xiamen reveal that SMEs were encountering problems getting their goods across the border at the lower tariff rates provided in the FTA. They were very positive about the FTA, however, as the profile of New Zealand officials and firms had risen considerably. It is established that New Zealand firms are engaging in collaborative activities with New Zealand government representatives in an attempt to gain further competitive advantage and that the practice of guanxi is adapting in response to Beijing’s attempts to formalise officials’ interactions with private sector firms. It is suggested that a firm’s reputation (mingyu) with officials may be becoming established as an alternative to guanxi.</p>
An Investigation Into the Interactive Teaching Practices of Librarians in Information Literacy Instruction at the University of Auckland Library
Authors:   , Zdravkovic Neda 
Published: November 2021

<p>The development of constructivist learning theory has greatly influenced the design and delivery of the Information Literacy instructional programmes. Student-centred teaching methodology has been widely adopted in the IL instruction, however, the challenges library presenters face while practicing interactive teaching methods in their classes still require further investigation. This study aims to respond to the need for a deeper understanding of IL instruction from a teachers' perspective and provide an insight into currently applied interactive practices in IL classroom teaching, as well as associated challenges and effective solutions. An explanatory, sequential mixed methods research design has been applied to further investigate the quantitative information collected in the first phase of the project (an online survey emailed to 55 Subject Librarians at the University of Auckland (UoA)) followed by the second phase of qualitative, in-depth data gathering conducted in the form of nine individual 45 minutes long semi-structured interviews with Subject Librarians at the University of Auckland. The findings confirm the themes already discussed in the library literature, but also reveal new and unexpected elements of IL classroom instruction offered at the tertiary level in New Zealand region. Eleven original interactive classroom activities successfully employed in IL classroom teaching by Subject Librarians at the UoA are also identified during this research project and presented in the report. Suggestions are made for further research.</p>
Reshaping the Division of Labour: Work and Class in New Zealand Since the 1980s
Authors:   , Ongley Patrick 
Published: November 2021

<p>This thesis is concerned with the relationship between economic restructuring, the changing division of labour and social stratification, with particular reference to New Zealand in the period since the 1980s. It begins with a critique of theories of capitalist development, leading to the adoption of an approach which focuses on both the longterm evolution of the division of labour and the ways in which production and employment are subject to periodic upheavals from episodes of economic crisis and restructuring. The regulation approach is used to analyse the restructuring of the New Zealand economy following the global crisis of the 1970s, which transformed it from a model based on mass production and interventionist regulation to one based on flexible production and liberal regulation. This provides a context for analysing related changes in employment, focussing particularly on the massive job losses in New Zealand’s goods-producing industries, the subsequent period of high unemployment and the eventual resurgence in job growth based on more flexible use of labour, expansion in producer and consumer service industries, and growth in both skilled and routine whitecollar occupations. The remainder of the thesis is concerned with the effects of these changes on patterns of social stratification. A consideration of the theoretical and conceptual issues surrounding class, stratification and the division of labour leads to the development of a model of class structure based on relations of production and hierarchical divisions of labour. Census data is reclassified to fit the model and analysed to show changes in patterns of stratification since the 1980s, looking particularly at shifts in the relative size and composition of middle-class and working-class employment and the implications for class formation. The model is also used to analyse changes in structural inequalities between the sexes and between ethnic groups, with a focus on the ways in which different groups were affected by the restructuring process and how this was influenced by historically gendered and ethnicised divisions of labour. The thesis concludes with an assessment of the extent of change in employment and stratification and whether this is indicative of a transition to a post-industrial economy.</p>
Nomadic Norwegian Architecture: An Historical and Contemporary Study of Prefabricated Norwegian Whaling Settlements in the Southern Hemisphere
Authors:   , France Hannah 
Published: November 2021

<p>The early 1900’s saw a Norwegian Whaler’s base formed on Stewart Island where they shipped prefabricated buildings from Norway to create a settlement. The majority of these kitset buildings are still standing and apparently have had little modification from their original form. These buildings have no documentation of their materials, suitability of site or analysis of their current condition in this foreign environment. Initial research found one book by J.P.C Watt from the 1980’s which researches the Ross Sea whalers with little focus on the architecture or design. The book documents the movements of the buildings from their original service as a whaling station in the early 1900’s. This is an interesting ensemble of nomadic buildings, foreign to New Zealand, being moved around consistently and yet still remaining in the country today. Through the investigation of materiality, tectonics and individual building elements the research demonstrates how the buildings reacted to their nomadic inhabitants and also how the materials allowed for a sense of personal belonging to occur. This research aims to explore the materiality of Norwegian portable architecture and the material’s present conditions. It establishes that the nomadic/temporal nature of the Norwegian kitset buildings were not adapted to fit the New Zealand context and documents these buildings for future reference. The first step is literature research and design exploration of Norwegian kitset materials, tectonics and components. In the second step, analysis of case studies is conducted. Findings have been judged upon functionality, and therefore the design is a result of the site context and research.</p>
Unqueering Transgender? A Queer Geography of Transnormativity in Two Online Communities
Authors:   , LeBlanc Fred Joseph 
Published: November 2021

<p>This research implicates gender in the study of sexuality and suggests a genealogy of transgender that consists of both the medicalisation of transsexuality and the articulation of gender performances in gay liberation’s politics of difference. While the transgender subject is often idealised in queer discourses, this research positions the transsexual (one articulation of transgender) as normative: conservative gender politics, the ontological separation of gender and sexuality that echoes assimilationist gay and lesbian politics, an identity based on essentialist biology and psychiatric “wrong body” discourses, and the privileging of passing technologies such as hormone replacement therapies and sex reassignment surgery (themselves justified though the elaboration of wrong body discourses). Further to this, the public rendering of some transgender bodies as nonconformist results in violence and the need to explore alternate spaces of being, namely the internet which has the potential to build community, raise consciousness of gender and transgender oppression, but can also be used to legitimate transnormative (re)productions of the self. The analysis of two online communities of transgender individuals shows the most frequent users tended to be transsexual and privileging conservative gender politics and an essentialist medical etiology of transsexuality. Users were also typically more knowledgeable in passing biotechnologies than some medical professionals. In one community that are tailored to transgender individuals, subjects felt at ease to discuss a variety of topics and explore the complications of transgender. In the second community, tailored towards feminists in general, transgender issues were addressed in a more confrontational manner, often exposing the transphobic nature of some feminisms.</p>
The Weathered Trace: Capturing the Actualisations of Time
Authors:   , Shepherd Joseph 
Published: November 2021

<p>It may be considered that architecture does not as a discipline, acknowledge the changes a building will go through after construction completion. Therefore, weathering of materials occurs without direction forcing a building to degrade over time rather than mature. We may accept that materials have a given lifespan and that it is simply a question of time before that material is no longer suitable for its original use. However, the impermanence of materials through weathering need not be considered a negative element throughout the life of a building. It may give us the impression that we can grasp the effects of time in a tangible way through its visual expressions, reminding us of our own place in the cycle of time. This thesis was design led by firstly producing material experiments, and going on site to understand the conditions of weathering on materials. This lead to a number of questions – firstly, may architecture direct its own visual expression of time through embracing the inevitable process of weathering within its materials and site? Can these actualizations of time documenting the events of a buildings life promote the build up of personal memory between the user and the architecture they experience? These questions were tested through the design of temporary research accommodation units located at Te Raekaihau Point on the south coast of Wellington. Being an extremely harsh environment, the full force of a weathered trace could be illustrated. Through design, the idea of architecture as an evolving image was explored. The contrasting material time frames of concrete and wood were understood in their relation to one another and how one may act as a framework for the other. Concrete surfaces expressed positive and negative detail, directing the weather to enhance certain patterns over time. The organic nature of timber was interpreted throughout the site with varied levels of exposure. Original traces of weather on site were used to understand future interpretations. These traces influenced material placement, orientation and gave an understanding of the processes that will affect architecture in time. Accepting that no material is permanent, certain details explored the idea that one materials death may bring about the birth of another. Over time, a timber walkway connecting two areas of the site was designed to erode, revealing a concrete stairway hidden beneath. These design considerations lead to the conclusion that architecture must be considered over time, with careful consideration of the natural forces that will affect its development. A site analysis does not occur in one visit, it must be a more thorough process considering all aspects that affect materials in time and how best to work with these inevitable facts as opposed to against them. This will result in a building capable of capturing the actualisations of time promoting memory through the weathered trace.</p>
Imaging New Zealand's Crustal Structure Using Ambient Seismic Noise Recordings from Permanent and Temporary Instruments
Authors:   , Behr Yannik 
Published: November 2021

<p>We use ambient seismic noise to image the crust and uppermost mantle, and to determine the spatiotemporal characteristics of the noise field itself, and examine the way in which those characteristics may influence imaging results. Surface wave information extracted from ambient seismic noise using cross-correlation methods significantly enhances our knowledge of the crustal and uppermost mantle shear-velocity structure of New Zealand. We assemble a large dataset of three-component broadband continuous seismic data from temporary and permanent seismic stations, increasing the achievable resolution of surface wave velocity maps in comparison to a previous study. Three-component data enables us to examine both Rayleigh and Love waves using noise cross-correlation functions. Employing a Monte Carlo inversion method, we invert Rayleigh and Love wave phase and group velocity dispersion curves separately for spatially averaged isotropic shear velocity models beneath the Northland Peninsula. The results yield first-order radial anisotropy estimates of 2% in the upper crust and up to 15% in the lower crust, and estimates of Moho depth and uppermost mantle velocity compatible with previous studies. We also construct a high-resolution, pseudo-3D image of the shear-velocity distribution in the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the central North Island using Rayleigh and Love waves. We document, for the first time, the lateral extent of low shear-velocity zones in the upper and mid-crust beneath the highly active Taupo Volcanic Zone, which have been reported previously based on spatially confined 1D shear-velocity profiles. Attributing these low shear-velocities to the presence of partial melt, we use an empirical relation to estimate an average percentage of partial melt of < 4:2% in the upper and middle crust. Analysis of the ambient seismic noise field in the North Island using plane wave beamforming and slant stacking indicates that higher mode Rayleigh waves can be detected, in addition to the fundamental mode. The azimuthal distributions of seismic noise sources inferred from beamforming are compatible with high near-coastal ocean wave heights in the period band of the secondary microseism (~7 s). Averaged over 130 days, the distribution of seismic noise sources is azimuthally homogeneous, indicating that the seismic noise field is well-suited to noise cross-correlation studies. This is underpinned by the good agreement of our results with those from previous studies. The effective homogeneity of the seismic noise field and the large dataset of noise cross-correlation functions we here compiled, provide the cornerstone for future studies of ambient seismic noise and crustal shear velocity structure in New Zealand.</p>
My Friends Always Know When I’m Sad: How Children’s Emotion Understanding is Associated with Socio-Emotional Development
Authors:   , Lamb Brylee 
Published: November 2021

<p>The current study examined whether prosocial, social, and psychological development in children are more strongly associated with an overall understanding of emotions, or whether certain aspects of development are associated with specific components of emotion understanding. 38 children aged between 6 and 9 years old were administered the Test of Emotion Comprehension and the Kusche Affective Interview-Revised. Their parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Overall emotion understanding was found to be associated with conduct problems. Specific components of emotion understanding were associated with peer and emotional problems and inattention-hyperactivity. Prosocial behaviour was not significantly associated with emotion understanding. Results suggest that social and psychological development are primarily associated with specific components of emotion understanding rather than overall understanding.</p>
Predicting Archeology: Static Architecture in Time
Authors:   , Davies Jack 
Published: November 2021

<p>The explosion of computer propelled technology has affected architectural creation in every way. Achitecture as space is now considered corporeal from the moment the computer screen is powered. Time as a design driver’s resonance is being diluted in favour of material performance and manipulating capacity, yet the natural world is being absorbed as an aesthetic driver in much of contemporary architecture. This technological change is asking users to change their perception on what architecture means to them if it is not physically located in-situ. Architecture as a discipline is shifting to one that sits atop site, rather than growing from. This thesis asks whether natural elements are being misinterpreted when tranlated into digital space. It questions the aesthetics of parametric architecture when the notions of movement and speed are applied, and asks if there is a possibility to create architcture that embodies archeological integrity from the moment of conception. The tension between Time and Movement are explored, not as being mutually exclusive, but as hand in hand. It examines ideas postulated by Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron and David Leatherbarrow, and hypothesises that manipulation of material, not material form, is the most important lens in which to discuss movement. The conclusions drawn first acknowledge the merits of architectural reproduction as necessary when postulating a position purely existing in printed media, thus requiring a level of interpretation into its repesentation. It identifies a site in need of an architecture to test the ideas, and produces a design solution concluding that architecture’s direction when applying digital creation should acknowledge a building’s place over time, rather than place in time.</p>
Cave Art and the Evolution of the Human Mind
Authors:   , Gray Martin Paul 
Published: November 2021

<p>The discovery of cave paintings made by our Upper Paleolithic ancestors in Western Europe was an astonishing find – so astonishing, that they were originally believed to have been fakes. However, as more sites were uncovered, their authenticity was confirmed. But how could these people, who at the time of the discovery were believed to be merely dumb brutes, create such beautiful and naturalistic representations? And an even more difficult question to answer was, why? In this thesis I examine the phenomenon of Paleolithic cave art and what it might be able to tell us about the minds of the Cro-Magnon artists who produced it. I survey the paintings that have so far been discovered, as well as the processes involved in creating them. I also discuss and critique a selection of the many theories that have attempted to explain the motivation behind this radically different type of human behaviour. But due to the lack of hard evidence, none of these theories are ever likely to be fully substantiated. So a more promising line of investigation I take is to appraise the cognitive abilities Cro-Magnons would have needed to produce the paintings – and this then allows me to consider whether cave art was indicating any new cognitive development. I therefore highlight one of the effects that creating cave paintings had: it allowed information from the brain to be stored in the environment. But the manner in which this form of epistemic engineering might enhance human cognition is a hotly debated subject. I examine two theories: the extended mind hypothesis, and the theory of niche construction. In concluding this thesis, I argue that cave art seems more like an example of epistemic niche construction than a constituent of an extended mind.</p>