title: Mental health and legal landscapes

authors: Campion, Michelle Edith

abstract: When it was established early in the twentieth century, Tokanui became part of a network of mental hospitals that were responsible for the care and confinement of the insane and the mentally deficient. At the time of its construction Tokanui was the first new mental hospital commissioned in over 20 years and the first to be built in the central North Island. Of those mental hospitals operating in 1912 all, except Ashburn Hall (the country's only private institution), were government controlled and funded. State dominance in the management of mental abnormality was the result of an unofficial policy which followed English precedent, favouring government intervention in the belief that it produced beneficial results and which endorsed the conviction that government responsibility for such matters could not be divested to a third party. This position was strengthened by the paucity of a prosperous philanthropic class who would otherwise have bridged the gulf between demand and supply under the auspices of charity. The essence of this philosophy was reflected in the early nineteenth and twentieth-century legislation which governed the development and management of New Zealand's mental hospitals.

text: Mental health and legal landscapes When it was established early in the twentieth century, Tokanui became part of a network of mental hospitals that were responsible for the care and confinement of the insane and the mentally deficient. At the time of its construction Tokanui was the first new mental hospital commissioned in over 20 years and the first to be built in the central North Island. Of those mental hospitals operating in 1912 all, except Ashburn Hall (the country's only private institution), were government controlled and funded. State dominance in the management of mental abnormality was the result of an unofficial policy which followed English precedent, favouring government intervention in the belief that it produced beneficial results and which endorsed the conviction that government responsibility for such matters could not be divested to a third party. This position was strengthened by the paucity of a prosperous philanthropic class who would otherwise have bridged the gulf between demand and supply under the auspices of charity. The essence of this philosophy was reflected in the early nineteenth and twentieth-century legislation which governed the development and management of New Zealand's mental hospitals.

year: 2012

title: Lifestyle sport, public policy and youth engagement

authors: Gilchrist, Paul

abstract: In this paper we consider the development of parkour in the South of England, and its use in public policy debates and initiatives around youth, physical activity, and risk. Based on in-depth qualitative interviews with participants and those involved in the development of parkour in education, sport policy, and community based partnerships, we explore the potential of parkour to engage communities, particularly those traditionally excluded from mainstream ‘sport’ and physical education provision. We discuss how the perceived ‘success’ of parkour in these different contexts is related to the culture and ethos of the activity that is more inclusive, anti-competitive, and less rule bound than most traditional sports; and to its ability to provide managed risk-taking. More broadly, the paper highlights and discusses the emergence of lifestyle sports as ‘tools’ for policy makers, and the potential role these nontraditional, non-institutionalised ‘lifestyle sports’ can make in terms of encouraging youth engagement, physical health and wellbeing. Our paper therefore contributes to on-going debates about the ability of traditional sports to meet government targets for sport and physical activity participation.

text: Lifestyle sport, public policy and youth engagement In this paper we consider the development of parkour in the South of England, and its use in public policy debates and initiatives around youth, physical activity, and risk. Based on in-depth qualitative interviews with participants and those involved in the development of parkour in education, sport policy, and community based partnerships, we explore the potential of parkour to engage communities, particularly those traditionally excluded from mainstream ‘sport’ and physical education provision. We discuss how the perceived ‘success’ of parkour in these different contexts is related to the culture and ethos of the activity that is more inclusive, anti-competitive, and less rule bound than most traditional sports; and to its ability to provide managed risk-taking. More broadly, the paper highlights and discusses the emergence of lifestyle sports as ‘tools’ for policy makers, and the potential role these nontraditional, non-institutionalised ‘lifestyle sports’ can make in terms of encouraging youth engagement, physical health and wellbeing. Our paper therefore contributes to on-going debates about the ability of traditional sports to meet government targets for sport and physical activity participation.

year: 2013

title: Is physical education relevant? Interpersonal skills, values and hybridity

authors: Fitzpatrick, Katie

subjects: health education

abstract: Discussion surrounding the relevance of the document Health and Physical Education in the New Zealand Curriculum has focused on a range of areas. While some writers claim it has the potential to be emancipatory and the inclusion of interpersonal skills and values is important and meaningful, others have levelled criticisms that the document is trying to do too much and has a middle class agenda. This article reports part of the findings of a small study which explored how some Maori and Pasifika students viewed their experiences of physical education in one major urban New Zealand high school. The experiences of these students are related to Besley's notion of hybridity. Her argument suggests that young people actively negotiate and make critical decisions about what they think is relevant to them. The students believed physical education has provided them with opportunities to develop and practice care for others and to learn and apply interpersonal skills as well as to gain confidence and apply their skills in situations outside the school setting. The study argues the need for curriculum to connect with the wider lives of students and any degree of connection can only occur if students are given a voice in the curriculum implementation process.

text: Is physical education relevant? Interpersonal skills, values and hybridity Discussion surrounding the relevance of the document Health and Physical Education in the New Zealand Curriculum has focused on a range of areas. While some writers claim it has the potential to be emancipatory and the inclusion of interpersonal skills and values is important and meaningful, others have levelled criticisms that the document is trying to do too much and has a middle class agenda. This article reports part of the findings of a small study which explored how some Maori and Pasifika students viewed their experiences of physical education in one major urban New Zealand high school. The experiences of these students are related to Besley's notion of hybridity. Her argument suggests that young people actively negotiate and make critical decisions about what they think is relevant to them. The students believed physical education has provided them with opportunities to develop and practice care for others and to learn and apply interpersonal skills as well as to gain confidence and apply their skills in situations outside the school setting. The study argues the need for curriculum to connect with the wider lives of students and any degree of connection can only occur if students are given a voice in the curriculum implementation process.

year: 2005