title: Constructing the Feminine: The Creation of Female Identity in New Zealand Fantasy Fiction

authors: Warner, Kimberley Joy

subjects: fantasy fiction

abstract: Very little has been written about the construction of female identity in contemporary New Zealand fantasy fiction. Focusing on a select group of authors and texts, this thesis seeks to explore some of the issues that heroines experience while seeking to create a complete, integrated identity in the face of social ostracism and oppression. The intention is to understand why identity is such a focal point of interest in fiction written by women for women.

Alienation and forced assimilation are highlighted as being key obstructions to a heroine’s quest to understand her potential and place in the world. The ultimatum that her differences be physically and symbolically eradicated so that she can fit within the parameters of ideal femininity or else be crushed by the patriarchal hegemony drives the need for a third option: to escape to a magical sanctuary.

Fantasy is special for its ability to offer training grounds for heroines, which are represented through magical spaces. However, each of the texts examined illustrate that these sanctuaries are just escapes and must be relinquished if a woman is to have any real place in the world. Hence, a metamorphosis of self must occur while she is within her training ground so that she can return to the real world with confidence.
 
Finally, the fantasy quest is critically examined in terms of its structure and how each stage or ordeal relates to the construction and eventual realisation of female identity. At heart, this thesis is about female empowerment, agency, and transformation.

text: Constructing the Feminine: The Creation of Female Identity in New Zealand Fantasy Fiction Very little has been written about the construction of female identity in contemporary New Zealand fantasy fiction. Focusing on a select group of authors and texts, this thesis seeks to explore some of the issues that heroines experience while seeking to create a complete, integrated identity in the face of social ostracism and oppression. The intention is to understand why identity is such a focal point of interest in fiction written by women for women.

Alienation and forced assimilation are highlighted as being key obstructions to a heroine’s quest to understand her potential and place in the world. The ultimatum that her differences be physically and symbolically eradicated so that she can fit within the parameters of ideal femininity or else be crushed by the patriarchal hegemony drives the need for a third option: to escape to a magical sanctuary.

Fantasy is special for its ability to offer training grounds for heroines, which are represented through magical spaces. However, each of the texts examined illustrate that these sanctuaries are just escapes and must be relinquished if a woman is to have any real place in the world. Hence, a metamorphosis of self must occur while she is within her training ground so that she can return to the real world with confidence.
 
Finally, the fantasy quest is critically examined in terms of its structure and how each stage or ordeal relates to the construction and eventual realisation of female identity. At heart, this thesis is about female empowerment, agency, and transformation.

year: 2015

title: Utilising the human dimensions of wildlife management approach to initiate an understanding of the ways in which New Zealanders value wildlife in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

authors: Cowie, Sarah Joanna

subjects: human dimensions

abstract: This study was instigated by the lack of human dimensions research undertaken in New Zealand, and seeks to investigate the knowledge and values New Zealanders hold about New Zealand wildlife within three distinct groups of the New Zealand public. These groups were the Royal Forest and Bird Society of New Zealand Inc, the New Zealand Ecological Society (Inc.), and the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association. A questionnaire administered via Association list-serv's was utilised and a total of 52 questionnaires were completed by members of the three stakeholder groups. These were then analysed to investigate the values and knowledge New Zealanders hold toward wildlife in New Zealand.

The findings of this study suggest that New Zealander's hold strong utilitarian and negativistic values toward wildlife while the humanistic, moralistic, and naturalistic values were expressed by the majority of respondents. This result could be due to the high level of respondents who were from the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association. Conversely, whiled the data suggests that New Zealander's hold the ecologistic/scientific value only weakly, overall they have a high level of factual knowledge about wildlife. Because of this, it may be suggested that wildlife managers should generate education programmes that specifically address the negativistic value by making them imaginative and interesting.

Demographic factors were found to be influential in the ways in which New Zealander's value wildlife and the knowledge they hold although these were not as significant as indicated by studies undertaken in other countries. The lowest levels of knowledge were shown by respondents who were over 60 years of age; and higher income levels corresponded with the negativistic value being held more highly. 

Several areas of this study showed transgressions from other studies undertaken overseas. Unlike other studies, which suggested that females hold the naturalistic value more strongly than males, this study showed that both males and females held the naturalistic value only weakly. This indicates that findings from studies conducted overseas may not be transferable to the New Zealand situation and therefore, for New Zealand managers to effectively incorporate human dimensions information in decision-making processes, human dimensions research must be undertaken in the New Zealand context. Furthermore, wildlife managers should not make assumptions based on other studies and communities as these can lead to ineffective communication and implementation of wildlife management policies and education programmes.

text: Utilising the human dimensions of wildlife management approach to initiate an understanding of the ways in which New Zealanders value wildlife in Aotearoa, New Zealand. This study was instigated by the lack of human dimensions research undertaken in New Zealand, and seeks to investigate the knowledge and values New Zealanders hold about New Zealand wildlife within three distinct groups of the New Zealand public. These groups were the Royal Forest and Bird Society of New Zealand Inc, the New Zealand Ecological Society (Inc.), and the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association. A questionnaire administered via Association list-serv's was utilised and a total of 52 questionnaires were completed by members of the three stakeholder groups. These were then analysed to investigate the values and knowledge New Zealanders hold toward wildlife in New Zealand.

The findings of this study suggest that New Zealander's hold strong utilitarian and negativistic values toward wildlife while the humanistic, moralistic, and naturalistic values were expressed by the majority of respondents. This result could be due to the high level of respondents who were from the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association. Conversely, whiled the data suggests that New Zealander's hold the ecologistic/scientific value only weakly, overall they have a high level of factual knowledge about wildlife. Because of this, it may be suggested that wildlife managers should generate education programmes that specifically address the negativistic value by making them imaginative and interesting.

Demographic factors were found to be influential in the ways in which New Zealander's value wildlife and the knowledge they hold although these were not as significant as indicated by studies undertaken in other countries. The lowest levels of knowledge were shown by respondents who were over 60 years of age; and higher income levels corresponded with the negativistic value being held more highly. 

Several areas of this study showed transgressions from other studies undertaken overseas. Unlike other studies, which suggested that females hold the naturalistic value more strongly than males, this study showed that both males and females held the naturalistic value only weakly. This indicates that findings from studies conducted overseas may not be transferable to the New Zealand situation and therefore, for New Zealand managers to effectively incorporate human dimensions information in decision-making processes, human dimensions research must be undertaken in the New Zealand context. Furthermore, wildlife managers should not make assumptions based on other studies and communities as these can lead to ineffective communication and implementation of wildlife management policies and education programmes.

year: 2006

title: A pedagogical framework for embedding computational thinking in authentic technology practice

authors: Fox-Turnbull, Wendy

subjects: authentic technology practice

abstract: Computational thinking is an aspect of digital technologies in the New Zealand Curriculum that teaches children to approach problems systematically, using logical and analytical reasoning.  This paper presents a study undertaken in a small-town primary school in New Zealand with a high population of Māori students. The study drew on four aspects from Kotsopoulos et al.’s framework of pedagogical experiences: unplugged, tinkering, making, remixing to investigate pedagogical strategies that facilitate the successful embedding of computational thinking within authentic technological practice. The research aimed to identify learning pedagogies that support young learners in their understanding of computational thinking through designing and developing digital technologies. The qualitative methodologies were informed by the three pedagogical principles from Bishop and Berryman to guide the research design and frame learning support for students. Key themes that emerged from the data included the values of local context, self-autonomy, classroom organisation, use of physical and digital manipulatives. Finally, the paper presents a model for the pedagogical delivery of computational thinking when embedded in technological practice in primary schools, drawing from and adding to Kotsopoulos and colleague’s pedagogical framework. The most significant modification situates the existing model within authentic technology practice, providing context for learning. The model shows an adjustment from ‘Making’ to ‘Designing and Making’, thus strengthening the position of digital technologies within the Technology learning area.  The model also signals that authentic technological within a primary classroom practice is heavily impacted by ‘the pragmatics of delivery’ through a range of pedagogical and organisational strategies developed to ensure the needs of all students are met and to support them through their learning journey in computational thinking. The last significant modification of Kotsopoulos and colleagues’ model is the removal of ‘remixing’ because the primary aged students in this study did not reach the level of sophistication required for remixing. The aim of the framework is to assist teachers and teacher educators to design and develop successful teaching and learning strategies for implementing computational thinking into authentic technology practice in primary schools.

text: A pedagogical framework for embedding computational thinking in authentic technology practice Computational thinking is an aspect of digital technologies in the New Zealand Curriculum that teaches children to approach problems systematically, using logical and analytical reasoning.  This paper presents a study undertaken in a small-town primary school in New Zealand with a high population of Māori students. The study drew on four aspects from Kotsopoulos et al.’s framework of pedagogical experiences: unplugged, tinkering, making, remixing to investigate pedagogical strategies that facilitate the successful embedding of computational thinking within authentic technological practice. The research aimed to identify learning pedagogies that support young learners in their understanding of computational thinking through designing and developing digital technologies. The qualitative methodologies were informed by the three pedagogical principles from Bishop and Berryman to guide the research design and frame learning support for students. Key themes that emerged from the data included the values of local context, self-autonomy, classroom organisation, use of physical and digital manipulatives. Finally, the paper presents a model for the pedagogical delivery of computational thinking when embedded in technological practice in primary schools, drawing from and adding to Kotsopoulos and colleague’s pedagogical framework. The most significant modification situates the existing model within authentic technology practice, providing context for learning. The model shows an adjustment from ‘Making’ to ‘Designing and Making’, thus strengthening the position of digital technologies within the Technology learning area.  The model also signals that authentic technological within a primary classroom practice is heavily impacted by ‘the pragmatics of delivery’ through a range of pedagogical and organisational strategies developed to ensure the needs of all students are met and to support them through their learning journey in computational thinking. The last significant modification of Kotsopoulos and colleagues’ model is the removal of ‘remixing’ because the primary aged students in this study did not reach the level of sophistication required for remixing. The aim of the framework is to assist teachers and teacher educators to design and develop successful teaching and learning strategies for implementing computational thinking into authentic technology practice in primary schools.

year: 2025