title: Exploring concepts of home for returned long term travellers

authors: Pocock, Naomi Jane

subjects: tourism

abstract: In this thesis, I take a reflexive approach in exploring concepts of ‘home’ for returned long term travellers, whereby ‘concepts’ represent ideas or constructs rather than definitive truths. ‘Home’, being ideologically constructed (Somerville, 1992; Gurney, 1997), has traditionally represented feelings of comfort, familiarity and belongingness. Yet, within the context of return from long term travel, concepts of home may become elusive and uncertain, as previously familiar environments may seem strange (Storti, 1997; Ahmed, 1999) and as the (physically) returned traveller may remain emotionally and socially ‘elsewhere’. Thus, I foreground the emotional and experiential dimensions of return from long term travel in this thesis, surpassing spatially limited notions of an ontological home, and engaging instead with the entangled complexity of social, interpersonal and personal concepts of (knowing) ‘home’.

The context of the thesis is set within the first nine months of return to New Zealand from a long term travel experience, being the phase of travel when concepts of home are perhaps most questioned and arguably blurred. The methods I chose were underpinned by philosophical hermeneutics, and thus, I sought to privilege the participants’ own interpretation of their ‘home(s)’. Within this approach, I necessarily offered one reflexive interpretation of the returned travellers’ stories, while acknowledging that alternative interpretations may also be possible. In contrast to many theses within tourism studies that relegate reflexivity to the methodology chapter (Perriton, 2001; Feighery, 2006), I have attempted to incorporate my reflexivity throughout the thesis. For example, I commence this thesis by openly and honestly situating myself within the thesis, by examining my interest in the topic and my reasons for taking a reflexive approach.

In terms of methods, I conducted open, conversational interviews with five long term travellers who had returned to New Zealand after living and working abroad, in a variety of countries, for between nine months and five years. In these initial interviews, I encouraged participants to reflect on their experiences of return and start conceptualising their ‘home(s)’. This interview was followed by a period of video diarising, whereby the returned traveller chose scenes of ‘home’ to film with little input from me. In addition, to broaden my understanding of the participants and their ‘home(s)’, I conducted independent interviews with up to five of each of the returned traveller’s ‘significant others’; namely, friends and family members selected by the travellers as being ‘significant’ to the returned travellers and/or their experience of return. Finally, I conducted a follow-up interview with each returned traveller, whereby we explored and discussed together his or her notions of home. Such innovative and iterative forms of data collection are rare within tourism studies, despite an emerging criticality evident within some areas of tourism scholarship (Ateljevic, Pritchard, & Morgan, 2007).

Thematic analysis revealed a renegotiation with home that emerged through the participants’ dialogue with themselves, with others and with me. Concepts of ‘home’ reflected a “mixed bag of emotions”, and emerged through often passive resistance to perceived social norms, and within the context of the returned travellers’ personal historicity, that is, their worldviews, priorities and personal and social histories. ‘Home(s)’ for returned travellers were described as “dynamic”, “fluid” and “emotional”, subjectively constructed, and influenced by the returned travellers’ priorities at that stage in their wider life courses.

This thesis contributes to philosophical ‘framings’ of tourism studies (Tribe, 2009) by moving beyond spatial assumptions of ‘home’ as a contrast to ‘away’ and engaging instead with subjectively constructed, pluralistic epistemologies of (knowing) home. Indeed, ‘home’ is an important experiential construct within tourism discourse, as tourism and recreation take their very meaning from “traditional anchors of identity, namely work and home” [italics in the original] (Williams & McIntyre, 2001, p. 392) and home and away (White & White, 2007). Yet, complex, subjective, situated, contextual and value-laden constructions of ‘home’ remain uncritically examined within mainstream tourism scholarship. This thesis attempts to address this gap.

text: Exploring concepts of home for returned long term travellers In this thesis, I take a reflexive approach in exploring concepts of ‘home’ for returned long term travellers, whereby ‘concepts’ represent ideas or constructs rather than definitive truths. ‘Home’, being ideologically constructed (Somerville, 1992; Gurney, 1997), has traditionally represented feelings of comfort, familiarity and belongingness. Yet, within the context of return from long term travel, concepts of home may become elusive and uncertain, as previously familiar environments may seem strange (Storti, 1997; Ahmed, 1999) and as the (physically) returned traveller may remain emotionally and socially ‘elsewhere’. Thus, I foreground the emotional and experiential dimensions of return from long term travel in this thesis, surpassing spatially limited notions of an ontological home, and engaging instead with the entangled complexity of social, interpersonal and personal concepts of (knowing) ‘home’.

The context of the thesis is set within the first nine months of return to New Zealand from a long term travel experience, being the phase of travel when concepts of home are perhaps most questioned and arguably blurred. The methods I chose were underpinned by philosophical hermeneutics, and thus, I sought to privilege the participants’ own interpretation of their ‘home(s)’. Within this approach, I necessarily offered one reflexive interpretation of the returned travellers’ stories, while acknowledging that alternative interpretations may also be possible. In contrast to many theses within tourism studies that relegate reflexivity to the methodology chapter (Perriton, 2001; Feighery, 2006), I have attempted to incorporate my reflexivity throughout the thesis. For example, I commence this thesis by openly and honestly situating myself within the thesis, by examining my interest in the topic and my reasons for taking a reflexive approach.

In terms of methods, I conducted open, conversational interviews with five long term travellers who had returned to New Zealand after living and working abroad, in a variety of countries, for between nine months and five years. In these initial interviews, I encouraged participants to reflect on their experiences of return and start conceptualising their ‘home(s)’. This interview was followed by a period of video diarising, whereby the returned traveller chose scenes of ‘home’ to film with little input from me. In addition, to broaden my understanding of the participants and their ‘home(s)’, I conducted independent interviews with up to five of each of the returned traveller’s ‘significant others’; namely, friends and family members selected by the travellers as being ‘significant’ to the returned travellers and/or their experience of return. Finally, I conducted a follow-up interview with each returned traveller, whereby we explored and discussed together his or her notions of home. Such innovative and iterative forms of data collection are rare within tourism studies, despite an emerging criticality evident within some areas of tourism scholarship (Ateljevic, Pritchard, & Morgan, 2007).

Thematic analysis revealed a renegotiation with home that emerged through the participants’ dialogue with themselves, with others and with me. Concepts of ‘home’ reflected a “mixed bag of emotions”, and emerged through often passive resistance to perceived social norms, and within the context of the returned travellers’ personal historicity, that is, their worldviews, priorities and personal and social histories. ‘Home(s)’ for returned travellers were described as “dynamic”, “fluid” and “emotional”, subjectively constructed, and influenced by the returned travellers’ priorities at that stage in their wider life courses.

This thesis contributes to philosophical ‘framings’ of tourism studies (Tribe, 2009) by moving beyond spatial assumptions of ‘home’ as a contrast to ‘away’ and engaging instead with subjectively constructed, pluralistic epistemologies of (knowing) home. Indeed, ‘home’ is an important experiential construct within tourism discourse, as tourism and recreation take their very meaning from “traditional anchors of identity, namely work and home” [italics in the original] (Williams & McIntyre, 2001, p. 392) and home and away (White & White, 2007). Yet, complex, subjective, situated, contextual and value-laden constructions of ‘home’ remain uncritically examined within mainstream tourism scholarship. This thesis attempts to address this gap.

year: 2011

title: Thermal shock properties of Ti(Al,O)/Al₂O₃ and TiAl(O)/Al₂O₃ composite coatings

authors: Salman, Asma Siddiq

subjects: composite coating

abstract: Ti(Al,O)/Al₂O₃ and TiAl(O)/Al₂O₃ composite coatings have a potential to reduce dissolution and aluminium soldering tendency of H13 tool steel used in the aluminium processing industry. The thermal shock resistance of H13 tool steel coated with Ti(Al,O)/Al₂O₃ and TiAl(O)/Al₂O₃ composite powders sprayed using a high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) technique was studied. The thermal shock behaviour of the composite coatings was investigated by subjecting the coated coupons to a number of cycles, each cycle consisting of a holding time of 30 seconds in molten aluminium at 700 ± 10 °C followed by quenching into water. The surfaces of the coupons were examined for Al soldering and an evaluation of surface spallation. Any cracks found in the coatings were studied to explain their thermal shock behaviour. The results of this study showed that both Ti(Al,O)/Al₂O₃ and TiAl(O)/Al₂O₃ composite coatings on H13 tool steel have good thermal shock resistance with a thermal shock life between 300 to 400 cycles. The composite coatings and fracture surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy.

text: Thermal shock properties of Ti(Al,O)/Al₂O₃ and TiAl(O)/Al₂O₃ composite coatings Ti(Al,O)/Al₂O₃ and TiAl(O)/Al₂O₃ composite coatings have a potential to reduce dissolution and aluminium soldering tendency of H13 tool steel used in the aluminium processing industry. The thermal shock resistance of H13 tool steel coated with Ti(Al,O)/Al₂O₃ and TiAl(O)/Al₂O₃ composite powders sprayed using a high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) technique was studied. The thermal shock behaviour of the composite coatings was investigated by subjecting the coated coupons to a number of cycles, each cycle consisting of a holding time of 30 seconds in molten aluminium at 700 ± 10 °C followed by quenching into water. The surfaces of the coupons were examined for Al soldering and an evaluation of surface spallation. Any cracks found in the coatings were studied to explain their thermal shock behaviour. The results of this study showed that both Ti(Al,O)/Al₂O₃ and TiAl(O)/Al₂O₃ composite coatings on H13 tool steel have good thermal shock resistance with a thermal shock life between 300 to 400 cycles. The composite coatings and fracture surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy.

year: 2011

title: Boat electrofishing surveys of fish populations in the Ohau Channel in 2011 and 2012

authors: Hicks, Brendan J.

abstract: The aim of the survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (eels, goldfish, and koura). In the current study we present the findings from the fifth and sixth years of sampling (2011 and 2012) in view of previous surveys using boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel.

We used the University of Waikato’s 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 399 fish (29.4 kg) from 10 sites in 2011 (2,420 linear m, 9,680 m² area) and 301 fish (12.8 kg) at 11 sites in 2012 (3,625 linear m, 14,500 m² area). Koura and 7 fish species were present in both years, with common bully the most abundant in 2011 and common smelt the most abundant in 2012. Common smelt were more abundant in 2012 (131 fish) than in 2011 (39 fish). Goldfish were most abundant at sites in the lower channel, especially at site 7.

As reflected in total numbers, common bullies had the highest densities of any fish species in 2011 (up to 7.4 fish 100 m⁻²), the majority of which were taken from edge habitats at sites 4, 5 and site 7. In 2012, common bully abundance was much reduced. However, despite the lower bully densities in 2012, mean bully biomass was higher in 2012 (1.00 g m⁻²) than in 2011 (0.04 g m⁻²) because bullies were smaller in 2011.

Common smelt had variable densities, the largest number of which was found in and around the excavated side branch at site 7 edge habitats (up to 14.7 fish 100 m⁻²) below the weir (site 1).

Mean density of rainbow trout in the Ohau Channel was similar in both years (0.27 fish 100 m⁻² in 2011,0.24 fish 100 m⁻² in 2012). Mean biomass of rainbow trout was much greater in 2012 (0.69 g m⁻² in 2011, 11.2 g m⁻² in 2012). Goldfish densities were greater in 2012, partly because goldfish at site 7 were targeted in 2012, and mean biomass was correspondingly greater (0.48 g m⁻² in 2011, 47.7 g m⁻² in 2012). Site 7 had 282 g m⁻² of goldfish biomass in 2012.

Catch per unit effort (CPUE) for common bullies in 2011 was twice that in 2012, reflecting lower densities in 2012. Common smelt CPUE in 2012, however, was 5 times greater than in 2011. Despite the much higher biomass of goldfish in 2012, CPUE was much the same.
The increased goldfish biomass in 2012 arose because of targeted fishing in the excavated side branch, which clearly offers good habitat for goldfish. In 2012, the first shortfin eel encountered in these surveys was caught. The abundance of common bully appears to have a clear trend of reducing abundance since these surveys started in 2007. The cause of this is not apparent, and not accounted for by water clarity expressed as black disk (BD) distance or water conductivity (Table 7). Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, but BD was greater in 2012 than in 2011. It is possible that smelt abundance has declined too, but the relatively inefficient sampling resulting from boat electrofishing must be considered. Independent verification is required.

text: Boat electrofishing surveys of fish populations in the Ohau Channel in 2011 and 2012 The aim of the survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (eels, goldfish, and koura). In the current study we present the findings from the fifth and sixth years of sampling (2011 and 2012) in view of previous surveys using boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel.

We used the University of Waikato’s 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 399 fish (29.4 kg) from 10 sites in 2011 (2,420 linear m, 9,680 m² area) and 301 fish (12.8 kg) at 11 sites in 2012 (3,625 linear m, 14,500 m² area). Koura and 7 fish species were present in both years, with common bully the most abundant in 2011 and common smelt the most abundant in 2012. Common smelt were more abundant in 2012 (131 fish) than in 2011 (39 fish). Goldfish were most abundant at sites in the lower channel, especially at site 7.

As reflected in total numbers, common bullies had the highest densities of any fish species in 2011 (up to 7.4 fish 100 m⁻²), the majority of which were taken from edge habitats at sites 4, 5 and site 7. In 2012, common bully abundance was much reduced. However, despite the lower bully densities in 2012, mean bully biomass was higher in 2012 (1.00 g m⁻²) than in 2011 (0.04 g m⁻²) because bullies were smaller in 2011.

Common smelt had variable densities, the largest number of which was found in and around the excavated side branch at site 7 edge habitats (up to 14.7 fish 100 m⁻²) below the weir (site 1).

Mean density of rainbow trout in the Ohau Channel was similar in both years (0.27 fish 100 m⁻² in 2011,0.24 fish 100 m⁻² in 2012). Mean biomass of rainbow trout was much greater in 2012 (0.69 g m⁻² in 2011, 11.2 g m⁻² in 2012). Goldfish densities were greater in 2012, partly because goldfish at site 7 were targeted in 2012, and mean biomass was correspondingly greater (0.48 g m⁻² in 2011, 47.7 g m⁻² in 2012). Site 7 had 282 g m⁻² of goldfish biomass in 2012.

Catch per unit effort (CPUE) for common bullies in 2011 was twice that in 2012, reflecting lower densities in 2012. Common smelt CPUE in 2012, however, was 5 times greater than in 2011. Despite the much higher biomass of goldfish in 2012, CPUE was much the same.
The increased goldfish biomass in 2012 arose because of targeted fishing in the excavated side branch, which clearly offers good habitat for goldfish. In 2012, the first shortfin eel encountered in these surveys was caught. The abundance of common bully appears to have a clear trend of reducing abundance since these surveys started in 2007. The cause of this is not apparent, and not accounted for by water clarity expressed as black disk (BD) distance or water conductivity (Table 7). Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, but BD was greater in 2012 than in 2011. It is possible that smelt abundance has declined too, but the relatively inefficient sampling resulting from boat electrofishing must be considered. Independent verification is required.

year: 2013