title: The Contemporary Political Dynamics of Feeding Hungry Children in New Zealand Schools

authors: Anscombe, Martin Dennis

subjects: history of school food

abstract: The politics of feeding hungry children in New Zealand schools remains contested.  It is described in this thesis as political dynamics between various groups in society.  It does this by focusing on contemporary political, social and ideological machinations around school food programmes, child rights in a local and international context, bureaucratic attitudes, the assessment of risk, and practices and attitudes surrounding poverty and disadvantage.  Through semi-structured interviews nine New Zealand participants were questioned to determine their views, which by association were informed by their organisational roles.  The interviewees were: three charity managers, three low-decile primary school principals, and one senior government official from each of the Ministries of Health, Education and Social Development.  The Government ministry participants acknowledged difficulties in assessing the problem and were uncertain whether existing school and charity initiatives were necessary, effective or sustainable.  They also suggested that food programmes were a Band-Aid solution, rather than a planned and coordinated response.  For the school principals and charity leaders interviewed, feeding hungry children was their first priority.  They also saw the problem of hungry children as firmly in their hands because of the absence of alternatives.  All of the participants agreed that hungry children were a problem for the whole of society and that government, social services, communities and schools should work more closely together to solve it.  There were however fundamental differences between interviewees' opinions, and the solutions they offered were generally limited to current institutional realities and organisational practices, rather than advocating radical change.  Their informed views and the literature reviewed characterize a stark reality in schools and government.  This reality means some New Zealanders favour feeding children in schools and others don't, while many children remain hungry to some degree throughout each school day.  The facts surrounding hungry children in New Zealand are surprisingly little publicised; instead it is common for people to blame the parents of these children.  Government politicians have pandered to these public attitudes and questioned evidence that hungry children are a serious problem, while at the same time heralding the success of their social and economic policies in reducing inequalities.  Noticeably few government departmental reports mention hungry children in schools.  Arguably these official silences and avoidances are manifestations of neo-liberal and Third Way ideologies.  As a consequence New Zealand children tend to be punished for their hunger and discriminated against through action, inaction, shame and ignorance.  Some local councils and Non-Government Organisations (NGO's) do however report on school hunger and in some cases have provided logistical support or limited funds for school food.  Businesses and charities also contribute to some school food programmes.  By and large however, the resources available and the value judgments of school staff, parents and communities determine whether hungry children are fed by schools.  In contrast, with respect to feeding otherwise hungry children in schools, countries with state funded school food programmes possess a more informed and responsive public service and society.  The availability of school food for otherwise hungry children in these nations is considered a natural right and a public good.  This thesis advocates for the care and feeding of hungry children in New Zealand schools beyond current thinking and actions.  It argues that the Government should take more responsibility for feeding children and informing society, rather than perpetuating ignorance and letting some children continue to go hungry.

text: The Contemporary Political Dynamics of Feeding Hungry Children in New Zealand Schools The politics of feeding hungry children in New Zealand schools remains contested.  It is described in this thesis as political dynamics between various groups in society.  It does this by focusing on contemporary political, social and ideological machinations around school food programmes, child rights in a local and international context, bureaucratic attitudes, the assessment of risk, and practices and attitudes surrounding poverty and disadvantage.  Through semi-structured interviews nine New Zealand participants were questioned to determine their views, which by association were informed by their organisational roles.  The interviewees were: three charity managers, three low-decile primary school principals, and one senior government official from each of the Ministries of Health, Education and Social Development.  The Government ministry participants acknowledged difficulties in assessing the problem and were uncertain whether existing school and charity initiatives were necessary, effective or sustainable.  They also suggested that food programmes were a Band-Aid solution, rather than a planned and coordinated response.  For the school principals and charity leaders interviewed, feeding hungry children was their first priority.  They also saw the problem of hungry children as firmly in their hands because of the absence of alternatives.  All of the participants agreed that hungry children were a problem for the whole of society and that government, social services, communities and schools should work more closely together to solve it.  There were however fundamental differences between interviewees' opinions, and the solutions they offered were generally limited to current institutional realities and organisational practices, rather than advocating radical change.  Their informed views and the literature reviewed characterize a stark reality in schools and government.  This reality means some New Zealanders favour feeding children in schools and others don't, while many children remain hungry to some degree throughout each school day.  The facts surrounding hungry children in New Zealand are surprisingly little publicised; instead it is common for people to blame the parents of these children.  Government politicians have pandered to these public attitudes and questioned evidence that hungry children are a serious problem, while at the same time heralding the success of their social and economic policies in reducing inequalities.  Noticeably few government departmental reports mention hungry children in schools.  Arguably these official silences and avoidances are manifestations of neo-liberal and Third Way ideologies.  As a consequence New Zealand children tend to be punished for their hunger and discriminated against through action, inaction, shame and ignorance.  Some local councils and Non-Government Organisations (NGO's) do however report on school hunger and in some cases have provided logistical support or limited funds for school food.  Businesses and charities also contribute to some school food programmes.  By and large however, the resources available and the value judgments of school staff, parents and communities determine whether hungry children are fed by schools.  In contrast, with respect to feeding otherwise hungry children in schools, countries with state funded school food programmes possess a more informed and responsive public service and society.  The availability of school food for otherwise hungry children in these nations is considered a natural right and a public good.  This thesis advocates for the care and feeding of hungry children in New Zealand schools beyond current thinking and actions.  It argues that the Government should take more responsibility for feeding children and informing society, rather than perpetuating ignorance and letting some children continue to go hungry.

year: 2009

title: Programming for concurrency control in database systems

authors: Tan, Puay Hiang

subjects: database

abstract: Concurrency control problems in centralized Database Management Systems have been actively studied in past two decades. Various types of concurrency control mechanisms have been proposed and implemented in practice. Among these mechanisms, Two-Phase Locking, Timestamping and Optimistic mechanisms have attracted most attention. This thesis presents a survey on these three mechanisms, identifies their major problems and ways to resolve these problems.
Despite their popularity, literatures published to date on these three mechanisms are mostly theoretical in nature, discussions on their implementation issues are normally neglected. This thesis attempts to look into this aspect by investigating the use of concurrent programming techniques based on semaphore and monitor in their implementations. Detailed descriptions of the implemenations are given and various modifications to the concurrent programming techniques to improve their applicability in the DBMS environment are provided too.

text: Programming for concurrency control in database systems Concurrency control problems in centralized Database Management Systems have been actively studied in past two decades. Various types of concurrency control mechanisms have been proposed and implemented in practice. Among these mechanisms, Two-Phase Locking, Timestamping and Optimistic mechanisms have attracted most attention. This thesis presents a survey on these three mechanisms, identifies their major problems and ways to resolve these problems.
Despite their popularity, literatures published to date on these three mechanisms are mostly theoretical in nature, discussions on their implementation issues are normally neglected. This thesis attempts to look into this aspect by investigating the use of concurrent programming techniques based on semaphore and monitor in their implementations. Detailed descriptions of the implemenations are given and various modifications to the concurrent programming techniques to improve their applicability in the DBMS environment are provided too.

year: 1989

title: Positive Ageing in Place: Older Māori in Traditional and Non-traditional Place

authors: Williams, Cassandra

subjects: Māori

abstract: This thesis examines the role of place in experiences of ageing for older Māori, and the extent to which places of choice facilitate a sense of positive ageing. Particular attention is given to multiple experiences of home and the complexities surrounding Māori affiliations to place. Participants were older whānau members over the age of 55 who whakapapa to, and have lived, or currently live in Manaia in the Coromandel. Two participants still reside in Manaia to this day, and two have moved into urban areas in Paeroa and Taupo. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants in their own homes. The first interview focused on housing experiences, personal background and support. The second interview incorporated Māori relationship principles relating to the importance of turangawaewae, whānaungatanga, wairua and manaakitanga. My analysis was informed by a narrative approach, and the relevance of Māori principles to participants’ positive ageing experiences.

I found that Māori relationships with places of ancestral connection are complex and do not exclude other places becoming equally, if not as important to individuals. Experiences of home for participants were multiple and extended to places with which they had forged memories, relationships and positive attachments. Findings indicate that the ability to age positively within particular places is largely reliant on the supports available for older Māori. Wairua was acknowledged by participants as being significant in aiding their positive ageing experiences. Strong connections to non-living objects such as places, nature and tupuna were expressed as being a crucial part of their philosophies on life and death. This feeling of knowing ancestors were part of everyday life alleviated feelings of loneliness and reiterated the never-ending connections between whānau. Everyday contact with whānau provided practical social support as well as a chance for reciprocal relationships to be fostered. When whānau support was not readily available due to geographical distances, technological means of relationship building were used to enable ageing at a distance, allowing home to be played out across physical localities. Health issues were expressed by participants, both historical and reoccurring, and appropriate health care services were regarded as playing an active role in participants’ ageing experiences. Three out of four participants accessed a Māori health provider. By accessing a health care service that was financially inexpensive, where the doctors built a rapport with patients and took advice, participants felt culturally safe and reported positive relationships with their provider. Finances were reported as being a support that needed to be strengthened and a lack of income had a negative effect on participants ageing experiences. Participants’ everyday lives were impacted by financial instability, with a lack of finances standing in the way of fully interacting with the community, negotiating place and being able to age in places of choice.
This thesis argues that ageing in place facilitates positive ageing by allowing older Māori to remain in their places of choice with firm attachments where they can maintain control over their affairs and maintain a sense of continuity. Māori ageing needs to be viewed within a history of colonisation, urbanisation, experiences, relationships and spiritual connectedness to human and non-human entities. It is within this context that ageing in place can be truly explored. Recommendations are made to aid positive ageing in place for older Māori. These include further research into supports, a review of the age of eligibility for state pensions, subsidised transport initiatives, and making Māori health services more accessible.

text: Positive Ageing in Place: Older Māori in Traditional and Non-traditional Place This thesis examines the role of place in experiences of ageing for older Māori, and the extent to which places of choice facilitate a sense of positive ageing. Particular attention is given to multiple experiences of home and the complexities surrounding Māori affiliations to place. Participants were older whānau members over the age of 55 who whakapapa to, and have lived, or currently live in Manaia in the Coromandel. Two participants still reside in Manaia to this day, and two have moved into urban areas in Paeroa and Taupo. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants in their own homes. The first interview focused on housing experiences, personal background and support. The second interview incorporated Māori relationship principles relating to the importance of turangawaewae, whānaungatanga, wairua and manaakitanga. My analysis was informed by a narrative approach, and the relevance of Māori principles to participants’ positive ageing experiences.

I found that Māori relationships with places of ancestral connection are complex and do not exclude other places becoming equally, if not as important to individuals. Experiences of home for participants were multiple and extended to places with which they had forged memories, relationships and positive attachments. Findings indicate that the ability to age positively within particular places is largely reliant on the supports available for older Māori. Wairua was acknowledged by participants as being significant in aiding their positive ageing experiences. Strong connections to non-living objects such as places, nature and tupuna were expressed as being a crucial part of their philosophies on life and death. This feeling of knowing ancestors were part of everyday life alleviated feelings of loneliness and reiterated the never-ending connections between whānau. Everyday contact with whānau provided practical social support as well as a chance for reciprocal relationships to be fostered. When whānau support was not readily available due to geographical distances, technological means of relationship building were used to enable ageing at a distance, allowing home to be played out across physical localities. Health issues were expressed by participants, both historical and reoccurring, and appropriate health care services were regarded as playing an active role in participants’ ageing experiences. Three out of four participants accessed a Māori health provider. By accessing a health care service that was financially inexpensive, where the doctors built a rapport with patients and took advice, participants felt culturally safe and reported positive relationships with their provider. Finances were reported as being a support that needed to be strengthened and a lack of income had a negative effect on participants ageing experiences. Participants’ everyday lives were impacted by financial instability, with a lack of finances standing in the way of fully interacting with the community, negotiating place and being able to age in places of choice.
This thesis argues that ageing in place facilitates positive ageing by allowing older Māori to remain in their places of choice with firm attachments where they can maintain control over their affairs and maintain a sense of continuity. Māori ageing needs to be viewed within a history of colonisation, urbanisation, experiences, relationships and spiritual connectedness to human and non-human entities. It is within this context that ageing in place can be truly explored. Recommendations are made to aid positive ageing in place for older Māori. These include further research into supports, a review of the age of eligibility for state pensions, subsidised transport initiatives, and making Māori health services more accessible.

year: 2012