title: Rugby, School Boys and Masculinities: In an American School in Taiwan.

authors: Vicars, Andrew Grant Fairbairn

subjects: masculinities

abstract: Gender research throughout the last two decades has positioned sport as one of the central sites in the social production of masculinities.  In particular, body contact, confrontational sports have been identified as central to the reproduction of a dominant but problematic form of masculinity, typically known as hegemonic masculinity.  Whether it is through participation, opposition, resistance, complicity or media consumption, contact sports have been identified as constructing individual understandings of masculinity as well as contributing to the continued marginalization and subordination of other types of masculinities.  Researchers working within schools have also linked rugby to similarly negative understandings of masculinities.  The majority of these school based studies have been conducted in countries where contact sports are traditionally respected or in schools where rugby is tied to traditional and institutionalized understandings of masculinity.  As yet little attention has been paid to boys who play rugby in countries or schools where rugby is not tied to traditional and institutionalized understandings of masculinity.  
As a New Zealand teacher working in an American school, in Taiwan, I set out to examine the rugby experiences of high school boys and to investigate the influence that rugby has on their understanding of masculinities.  My study employed in-depth interviews with seven boys.  Cognizant of the fact that the majority of gender based sport research has utilised Connell's theory of hegemonic masculinity, I adopted a 'Foucauldian method' to analyse the data.  In doing so it was my intention to contribute to the field of sport and gender studies by utilising an alternative perspective instead of creating repetitive and redundant research which could lead to some problems being explored exhaustively.  
My main findings revealed a number of dominant discourses surrounding and constituting rugby within the American School of Taiwan.  These included discourses of rugby as a masculine sport, as a foreign/western sport, and as a low status sport.  Drawing upon these discourses I examined how the participants' gendered subjectivities were influenced by their rugby participation. The results revealed that within the general context of the school, rugby players were generally regarded as low status male athletes.  However, within the western cultural group of students, rugby players were regarded as high status male athletes.  This study contributes to gender and sport studies by suggesting that contact sports such as rugby need not always contribute to structured and hierarchical understandings of masculinities.

text: Rugby, School Boys and Masculinities: In an American School in Taiwan. Gender research throughout the last two decades has positioned sport as one of the central sites in the social production of masculinities.  In particular, body contact, confrontational sports have been identified as central to the reproduction of a dominant but problematic form of masculinity, typically known as hegemonic masculinity.  Whether it is through participation, opposition, resistance, complicity or media consumption, contact sports have been identified as constructing individual understandings of masculinity as well as contributing to the continued marginalization and subordination of other types of masculinities.  Researchers working within schools have also linked rugby to similarly negative understandings of masculinities.  The majority of these school based studies have been conducted in countries where contact sports are traditionally respected or in schools where rugby is tied to traditional and institutionalized understandings of masculinity.  As yet little attention has been paid to boys who play rugby in countries or schools where rugby is not tied to traditional and institutionalized understandings of masculinity.  
As a New Zealand teacher working in an American school, in Taiwan, I set out to examine the rugby experiences of high school boys and to investigate the influence that rugby has on their understanding of masculinities.  My study employed in-depth interviews with seven boys.  Cognizant of the fact that the majority of gender based sport research has utilised Connell's theory of hegemonic masculinity, I adopted a 'Foucauldian method' to analyse the data.  In doing so it was my intention to contribute to the field of sport and gender studies by utilising an alternative perspective instead of creating repetitive and redundant research which could lead to some problems being explored exhaustively.  
My main findings revealed a number of dominant discourses surrounding and constituting rugby within the American School of Taiwan.  These included discourses of rugby as a masculine sport, as a foreign/western sport, and as a low status sport.  Drawing upon these discourses I examined how the participants' gendered subjectivities were influenced by their rugby participation. The results revealed that within the general context of the school, rugby players were generally regarded as low status male athletes.  However, within the western cultural group of students, rugby players were regarded as high status male athletes.  This study contributes to gender and sport studies by suggesting that contact sports such as rugby need not always contribute to structured and hierarchical understandings of masculinities.

year: 2008

title: The flow behaviour of inorganic - wood fibre slurries in pressurised pipes

authors: Walmsley, Michael R.W.

subjects: engineering

abstract: Understanding the flow behaviour of inorganic-wood fibre slurries is important for developing new process equipment for the cement fibreboard industry. Little is reported in the technical literature and generally slurry flow knowledge is limited to a few engineers within the industry. Pipe friction loss characteristics and the settling behaviour of inorganic-wood fibre slurries were studied and data were obtained in pressurised horizontal pipes ranging from 25 to100mm diameter at flow velocities up to 8m/s. The inorganic solids studied were cement and fine silica of size range 10 to 150 m. Solids concentrations ranged from 5-20% and fibre concentrations from 0- 2%. 

Wood pulp fibre suspensions at low fibre concentrations form a structured carrier medium with the ability to support fine particulate solids. Unlike fibre-free suspensions, no permanent stationary deposit formed and therefore no minimum settling velocity exists. At low flow rates particles are trapped in the fibre plug and the friction loss is above water. At high flow rates the particles are still supported but the fibres dislodged from the central plug core damp turbulence and friction losses for the cement-silica-fibre system are less than water (drag reduction). The overall flow behaviour is similar to and consistent with previous data reported for coal-fibre slurries. Fibre concentration has a significant affect on the onset of drag reduction and friction loss increases with fibre concentration as with conventional fibre suspensions. Pipe diameter has a minimal effect on the onset of drag reduction but friction loss decreases with diameter as with conventional fluids.

text: The flow behaviour of inorganic - wood fibre slurries in pressurised pipes Understanding the flow behaviour of inorganic-wood fibre slurries is important for developing new process equipment for the cement fibreboard industry. Little is reported in the technical literature and generally slurry flow knowledge is limited to a few engineers within the industry. Pipe friction loss characteristics and the settling behaviour of inorganic-wood fibre slurries were studied and data were obtained in pressurised horizontal pipes ranging from 25 to100mm diameter at flow velocities up to 8m/s. The inorganic solids studied were cement and fine silica of size range 10 to 150 m. Solids concentrations ranged from 5-20% and fibre concentrations from 0- 2%. 

Wood pulp fibre suspensions at low fibre concentrations form a structured carrier medium with the ability to support fine particulate solids. Unlike fibre-free suspensions, no permanent stationary deposit formed and therefore no minimum settling velocity exists. At low flow rates particles are trapped in the fibre plug and the friction loss is above water. At high flow rates the particles are still supported but the fibres dislodged from the central plug core damp turbulence and friction losses for the cement-silica-fibre system are less than water (drag reduction). The overall flow behaviour is similar to and consistent with previous data reported for coal-fibre slurries. Fibre concentration has a significant affect on the onset of drag reduction and friction loss increases with fibre concentration as with conventional fibre suspensions. Pipe diameter has a minimal effect on the onset of drag reduction but friction loss decreases with diameter as with conventional fluids.

year: 2001

title: Mai ngā reo pou tangata

authors: Nathan, Lisa Kiriwai

subjects: Maori

abstract: Globally the prevalence rate of dementia is estimated to be 50 million.  In 2016, Aotearoa New Zealand prevalence projections reported 62,287 people were affected by dementia.  Māori represented 5.1 per cent, which is expected to rise to 8 per cent by 2038.  Māori people prefer to care for ill kaumātua (older people) at home and are experiencing greater stress and increased caregiver burden due to the cultural expectations of caring for kaumātua at home.  The two aims of this study were first, to explore the perspectives of Māori whānau carers caring for kaumātua with dementia, and the second aim was to explore the perspectives of staff who work for dementia service providers, addressing areas such as staff’s experiences with Māori whānau carers and cultural competency in service delivery.
	Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight whānau (11 whānau carers) within the Waikato region of New Zealand and seven service provider staff participants. Whānau carers were interviewed first.  They were asked to share information about their kaumātua.  The topics explored the diagnosis process; the behavioural changes of the kaumātua living with dementia and the whānau caring experience.  Thematic analysis was conducted on the resulting transcripts to identify themes and to identify potential service providers to approach for interviews.  Five service provider organisations were selected, of which four service providers were able to commit to an interview.  One service provider could not commit to an interview due to thesis time constraints. Seven staff participants across the four service providers were recruited and invited to share their perspectives of working with Māori whānau.  Again, thematic analysis was conducted on the verbatim transcripts to identify salient themes.
	Two major findings amidst the perspectives of whānau carers was identified.  First, the systemic lack of support across three dimensions, and second the negative impact of caregiver burden. The first deficiency was the lack of support from whānau members, second, the lack of support from community services and third, the lack of support from the government.  Whānau experienced poor health as a result of caregiver burden. Staff participants findings were firstly staff believed they were culturally inclusive and responsive, second they reported going beyond their roles and the system to support Māori and third staff identified barriers which exist for Māori in terms of accessing services.
	Whānau carers are struggling to find support from other whānau members.  Some whānau members are critical of caring methods, while others place additional burden on the carers.  Whānau are often described as an interconnected unit, however findings show that Māori whānau carers are feeling isolated and alone, and as a result are experiencing poor health. 
	Whānau carers perceive a services in their community as not being culturally inclusive or appropriate.  Staff participants said that they incorporate respect and compassion into their service delivery.  Staff recognise that the numbers of Māori represented at services are low, compared to non-Māori clients.  Services need to be integrate cultural training on a regular basis to ensure Māori are comfortable with being Māori in service settings.

text: Mai ngā reo pou tangata Globally the prevalence rate of dementia is estimated to be 50 million.  In 2016, Aotearoa New Zealand prevalence projections reported 62,287 people were affected by dementia.  Māori represented 5.1 per cent, which is expected to rise to 8 per cent by 2038.  Māori people prefer to care for ill kaumātua (older people) at home and are experiencing greater stress and increased caregiver burden due to the cultural expectations of caring for kaumātua at home.  The two aims of this study were first, to explore the perspectives of Māori whānau carers caring for kaumātua with dementia, and the second aim was to explore the perspectives of staff who work for dementia service providers, addressing areas such as staff’s experiences with Māori whānau carers and cultural competency in service delivery.
	Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight whānau (11 whānau carers) within the Waikato region of New Zealand and seven service provider staff participants. Whānau carers were interviewed first.  They were asked to share information about their kaumātua.  The topics explored the diagnosis process; the behavioural changes of the kaumātua living with dementia and the whānau caring experience.  Thematic analysis was conducted on the resulting transcripts to identify themes and to identify potential service providers to approach for interviews.  Five service provider organisations were selected, of which four service providers were able to commit to an interview.  One service provider could not commit to an interview due to thesis time constraints. Seven staff participants across the four service providers were recruited and invited to share their perspectives of working with Māori whānau.  Again, thematic analysis was conducted on the verbatim transcripts to identify salient themes.
	Two major findings amidst the perspectives of whānau carers was identified.  First, the systemic lack of support across three dimensions, and second the negative impact of caregiver burden. The first deficiency was the lack of support from whānau members, second, the lack of support from community services and third, the lack of support from the government.  Whānau experienced poor health as a result of caregiver burden. Staff participants findings were firstly staff believed they were culturally inclusive and responsive, second they reported going beyond their roles and the system to support Māori and third staff identified barriers which exist for Māori in terms of accessing services.
	Whānau carers are struggling to find support from other whānau members.  Some whānau members are critical of caring methods, while others place additional burden on the carers.  Whānau are often described as an interconnected unit, however findings show that Māori whānau carers are feeling isolated and alone, and as a result are experiencing poor health. 
	Whānau carers perceive a services in their community as not being culturally inclusive or appropriate.  Staff participants said that they incorporate respect and compassion into their service delivery.  Staff recognise that the numbers of Māori represented at services are low, compared to non-Māori clients.  Services need to be integrate cultural training on a regular basis to ensure Māori are comfortable with being Māori in service settings.

year: 2019