title: Stigma: You do your time, you come out and do more. A phenomenological analysis of the experiences of stigma as lived by ex-prisoners

authors: MacLennan, Brigitte

subjects: stigma

abstract: This thesis explores the phenomena of stigma and its effects upon offenders who have spent time in prison. There has been a long history of stigma attached to those who have engaged in criminal activity. As far back as the late 1800’s it was concluded that a criminal could be identified by their physical facial features alone. While it is no longer common to stigmatise offenders based on the distance between a person’s eyes, there is still a great deal of stigma attached to having been in prison which can prevent offenders from living a pro-social life. There is little research in this area, particularly within the New Zealand context. This thesis uses phenomenological research to engage with the participants in order to gain an understanding of their lived experiences with stigma. Interviews were conducted to explore this phenomenon. Allowing offenders who have served time in prison to have their experiences heard has potential implications for policy makers with regards to release conditions and also for services that are run in prisons. Making successful transitions from prison living to living a pro-social life has benefits for not only the offender, but the community in which they are residing as a whole.

text: Stigma: You do your time, you come out and do more. A phenomenological analysis of the experiences of stigma as lived by ex-prisoners This thesis explores the phenomena of stigma and its effects upon offenders who have spent time in prison. There has been a long history of stigma attached to those who have engaged in criminal activity. As far back as the late 1800’s it was concluded that a criminal could be identified by their physical facial features alone. While it is no longer common to stigmatise offenders based on the distance between a person’s eyes, there is still a great deal of stigma attached to having been in prison which can prevent offenders from living a pro-social life. There is little research in this area, particularly within the New Zealand context. This thesis uses phenomenological research to engage with the participants in order to gain an understanding of their lived experiences with stigma. Interviews were conducted to explore this phenomenon. Allowing offenders who have served time in prison to have their experiences heard has potential implications for policy makers with regards to release conditions and also for services that are run in prisons. Making successful transitions from prison living to living a pro-social life has benefits for not only the offender, but the community in which they are residing as a whole.

year: 2015

title: Sensitive soils of the Puketoka Formation, Hamilton, New Zealand

authors: Kitchen, Emily

subjects: Puketoka Formation

abstract: Sensitive soils are known to cause significant issues in the infrastructure and civil engineering industry, and are prone to sudden, oftentimes catastrophic failures following long periods of stability. 
The Walton Subgroup soils deposited through volcanic activity and partially reworked by the ancestral Waikato River are identified within the Hamilton Basin. These materials are of interest to the engineering community, and consultancy groups in the Hamilton area, due to their identified sensitivity. The Puketoka Formation was focused on in this study.
Sampling of material was undertaken at two active construction sites in Hamilton: Dixon Road Roundabout, and Temple View Urban Development. A series of classification tests were completed to determine the samples’ mineralogical and geotechnical characteristics. 
Mineralogical testing found that all the materials were silt dominated (55.06 – 81.12 %), with sub-ordinate clay (13.10 – 18.85 %) and sand (5.56 – 25.35 %) fractions. The moisture contents were variable (49 – 65 %). The field moist bulk density varied throughout the samples (1069 – 1576 kg/m3), as did the oven dry bulk densities (645 – 1057 kg/m3). The porosity as a result also varied (36 – 51 %). The void ratios followed the same trend as the porosity values (0.56 – 0.88). The particle densities of the materials also showed variation (1935 – 2487 kg/m3). The activities of all three samples were variable, ranging from inactive (0.60) to active (1.79). The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis determined that the main clay mineral present within the samples was a kaolinite group clay, either halloysite or kaolinite. The Fieldes & Perrott NaF test to determine the presence of allophane was also completed on the samples. Both tests were negative, confirming the dominance of halloysite. Bulk analysis also determined other constituents of the samples to include quartz, plagioclase, augite and volcanic glass. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) indicated the main halloysite morphologies present to be a combination of short and long tubules, spheroids, plates and book formations. The microstructure was analysed, and the main clay minerals, grains, microaggregates, and pores within the materials described. The microfabric was consistent for all three samples, with each showing an abundance of small pores (< 20 µm). These pores hold significant amounts of water in not readily accessible locations, leading to the highly porous, but poorly permeable nature of the materials. DRAB1 and TV1 showed microstructures consistent with Huppert (1986) and Beattie’s (1990) ‘matrix’ structures, whilst TV2 showed a more dominant ‘skeletal’ to ‘matrix’ structure. 
Atterberg limits testing found that the samples had a high liquid limit (59 – 75 %) and plastic limit (41 – 53 %), but a variable plasticity index (8 – 34 %) and liquidity index (0.1 – 2). This placed all three samples within the high plasticity “MH” category upon the Casagrande chart. Consolidated undrained triaxial testing of DRAB1 and TV1 indicated a characteristic normally consolidated response to shear, with the majority of cores showing shear band formation. Only TV1 at 170 kPa displayed an intermediate failure type, potentially occurring due to a combination of material being tested, confining pressure, and the low shear rate allowing time for pressure dissipation. The percentage of axial strain the cores failed at varied (1.81 – 16.35 %), and the peak deviator stress (129 – 277 kPa) and pore water pressure values (717.2 – 879.7 kPa) tended to increase as the confining pressures increased. Graphical outputs show a moderate strain, contractive (MSC) style of failure. The effective shear strength values produced were in keeping with the varying ranges of previously published values (effective cohesion: 0 – 37 kPa, effective friction angle: 27 - 38°). The permeability for all three samples was estimated to be ~10-9 – 10-10. Thin section analyses of failed core sections for DRAB1 at 270 kPa confining pressure and TV1 at 130 and 230 kPa confining pressures found that some degree of shear formation and propagation occurred. The calculated R’ angle for DRAB1 was closely observed in the thin section, however was not for TV1. This was hypothesised to have occurred due to a true shear band failure not occurring, rather the development of intermediate to juvenile shear bands within the soil. 
The sensitivity of the Puketoka Formation and wider Walton Subgroup is hypothesised to have been derived from the reworking and weathering the materials experienced. This in turn influenced the porosity and permeability of the materials, which I believe govern the sensitivity of the soils to a degree. Therefore, I believe the Puketoka Formation materials are representative of a silt-dominated, minimally reworked deposit of volcanic origin, that showed appreciable differences compared with the previously studied Tauranga soils. 
The remediation strategies used in the engineering industry were also analysed, and the suitability of the strategies in the context of the Puketoka Formation discussed. This assessment provides an overview of why traditional strategies for remediation may not be beneficial in some cases for the Walton Subgroup materials, which could be of benefit to key engineering groups that encounter these soil materials.
The results of this study provide a set of data which can be used as an initial reference point. The findings and hypotheses made could be of use to key groups including local engineering consultancies, who handle these materials regularly.

text: Sensitive soils of the Puketoka Formation, Hamilton, New Zealand Sensitive soils are known to cause significant issues in the infrastructure and civil engineering industry, and are prone to sudden, oftentimes catastrophic failures following long periods of stability. 
The Walton Subgroup soils deposited through volcanic activity and partially reworked by the ancestral Waikato River are identified within the Hamilton Basin. These materials are of interest to the engineering community, and consultancy groups in the Hamilton area, due to their identified sensitivity. The Puketoka Formation was focused on in this study.
Sampling of material was undertaken at two active construction sites in Hamilton: Dixon Road Roundabout, and Temple View Urban Development. A series of classification tests were completed to determine the samples’ mineralogical and geotechnical characteristics. 
Mineralogical testing found that all the materials were silt dominated (55.06 – 81.12 %), with sub-ordinate clay (13.10 – 18.85 %) and sand (5.56 – 25.35 %) fractions. The moisture contents were variable (49 – 65 %). The field moist bulk density varied throughout the samples (1069 – 1576 kg/m3), as did the oven dry bulk densities (645 – 1057 kg/m3). The porosity as a result also varied (36 – 51 %). The void ratios followed the same trend as the porosity values (0.56 – 0.88). The particle densities of the materials also showed variation (1935 – 2487 kg/m3). The activities of all three samples were variable, ranging from inactive (0.60) to active (1.79). The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis determined that the main clay mineral present within the samples was a kaolinite group clay, either halloysite or kaolinite. The Fieldes & Perrott NaF test to determine the presence of allophane was also completed on the samples. Both tests were negative, confirming the dominance of halloysite. Bulk analysis also determined other constituents of the samples to include quartz, plagioclase, augite and volcanic glass. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) indicated the main halloysite morphologies present to be a combination of short and long tubules, spheroids, plates and book formations. The microstructure was analysed, and the main clay minerals, grains, microaggregates, and pores within the materials described. The microfabric was consistent for all three samples, with each showing an abundance of small pores (< 20 µm). These pores hold significant amounts of water in not readily accessible locations, leading to the highly porous, but poorly permeable nature of the materials. DRAB1 and TV1 showed microstructures consistent with Huppert (1986) and Beattie’s (1990) ‘matrix’ structures, whilst TV2 showed a more dominant ‘skeletal’ to ‘matrix’ structure. 
Atterberg limits testing found that the samples had a high liquid limit (59 – 75 %) and plastic limit (41 – 53 %), but a variable plasticity index (8 – 34 %) and liquidity index (0.1 – 2). This placed all three samples within the high plasticity “MH” category upon the Casagrande chart. Consolidated undrained triaxial testing of DRAB1 and TV1 indicated a characteristic normally consolidated response to shear, with the majority of cores showing shear band formation. Only TV1 at 170 kPa displayed an intermediate failure type, potentially occurring due to a combination of material being tested, confining pressure, and the low shear rate allowing time for pressure dissipation. The percentage of axial strain the cores failed at varied (1.81 – 16.35 %), and the peak deviator stress (129 – 277 kPa) and pore water pressure values (717.2 – 879.7 kPa) tended to increase as the confining pressures increased. Graphical outputs show a moderate strain, contractive (MSC) style of failure. The effective shear strength values produced were in keeping with the varying ranges of previously published values (effective cohesion: 0 – 37 kPa, effective friction angle: 27 - 38°). The permeability for all three samples was estimated to be ~10-9 – 10-10. Thin section analyses of failed core sections for DRAB1 at 270 kPa confining pressure and TV1 at 130 and 230 kPa confining pressures found that some degree of shear formation and propagation occurred. The calculated R’ angle for DRAB1 was closely observed in the thin section, however was not for TV1. This was hypothesised to have occurred due to a true shear band failure not occurring, rather the development of intermediate to juvenile shear bands within the soil. 
The sensitivity of the Puketoka Formation and wider Walton Subgroup is hypothesised to have been derived from the reworking and weathering the materials experienced. This in turn influenced the porosity and permeability of the materials, which I believe govern the sensitivity of the soils to a degree. Therefore, I believe the Puketoka Formation materials are representative of a silt-dominated, minimally reworked deposit of volcanic origin, that showed appreciable differences compared with the previously studied Tauranga soils. 
The remediation strategies used in the engineering industry were also analysed, and the suitability of the strategies in the context of the Puketoka Formation discussed. This assessment provides an overview of why traditional strategies for remediation may not be beneficial in some cases for the Walton Subgroup materials, which could be of benefit to key engineering groups that encounter these soil materials.
The results of this study provide a set of data which can be used as an initial reference point. The findings and hypotheses made could be of use to key groups including local engineering consultancies, who handle these materials regularly.

year: 2021

title: Ceremonious storytelling: Exploring experiences within the publicly funded health service

authors: Mellsop-Kupe, Jessie

subjects: Māori health

abstract: Background: Chronic disease is defined as a condition impacting organs or organ systems causing dysfunction or dysregulation that lasts longer than six months or remains, despite medical intervention or treatment.  Research has shown that barriers, including those of a financial, physical, institutional and patient orientated nature significantly impact on outcomes. Māori are significantly over-represented in chronic health condition statistics, particularly relating to cardiac, respiratory, renal and mental health.  Further, Māori are more likely to have a negative experience engaging with primary and secondary health services, leading to disempowerment and dis-engagement. Therefore, research which explores how quality of care for Māori can be improved is of pressing value.

Objective: This study seeks to explore the experiences of Māori and non-Māori health-care consumers and providers within the publicly funded health service of Aotearoa. 
 
Participants: Advertising across primary and secondary care settings resulted in a total of 37 responses from health care consumers (31 respondents contributing to pūrākau) and 37 responses from health professionals (27 respondents contributing to pūrākau).

Methods: This study utilised kaupapa Māori methodological approaches, frameworks and models to guide and intertwine qualitative and quantitative research methods.  Participants were able to engage with any subset of questions, defining their responses through pūrākau, which supports the development of narratives within questions that are outside the limits of other worldviews.  Māori methods such as pūrākau are flexible, enabling the development of research methods that are culturally aware and safe for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people globally

Results: Key themes found within pūrākau highlighted the importance of meaningful engagement, person focused, trauma informed care to positively impact willingness and ability to engage with primary, secondary and tertiary services.  The study reported that consumers had a strong willingness to engage with services.

Conclusion: Health is personal and impacts people in various ways.  Access to health services, while funded in Aotearoa, still create barriers for some people and perpetuates the gap between prevention and diagnosis of chronic disease.  Kaupapa Māori methods within research support Māori engagement and definition within research through historical ways of being, knowing and conducting research.  Participants of this study detailed experiences within health services, highlighting willingness and ability to engage with health services.  Prior research defined the development of the Levesque access and accessibility framework, which correlates with the findings within this study."

text: Ceremonious storytelling: Exploring experiences within the publicly funded health service Background: Chronic disease is defined as a condition impacting organs or organ systems causing dysfunction or dysregulation that lasts longer than six months or remains, despite medical intervention or treatment.  Research has shown that barriers, including those of a financial, physical, institutional and patient orientated nature significantly impact on outcomes. Māori are significantly over-represented in chronic health condition statistics, particularly relating to cardiac, respiratory, renal and mental health.  Further, Māori are more likely to have a negative experience engaging with primary and secondary health services, leading to disempowerment and dis-engagement. Therefore, research which explores how quality of care for Māori can be improved is of pressing value.

Objective: This study seeks to explore the experiences of Māori and non-Māori health-care consumers and providers within the publicly funded health service of Aotearoa. 
 
Participants: Advertising across primary and secondary care settings resulted in a total of 37 responses from health care consumers (31 respondents contributing to pūrākau) and 37 responses from health professionals (27 respondents contributing to pūrākau).

Methods: This study utilised kaupapa Māori methodological approaches, frameworks and models to guide and intertwine qualitative and quantitative research methods.  Participants were able to engage with any subset of questions, defining their responses through pūrākau, which supports the development of narratives within questions that are outside the limits of other worldviews.  Māori methods such as pūrākau are flexible, enabling the development of research methods that are culturally aware and safe for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people globally

Results: Key themes found within pūrākau highlighted the importance of meaningful engagement, person focused, trauma informed care to positively impact willingness and ability to engage with primary, secondary and tertiary services.  The study reported that consumers had a strong willingness to engage with services.

Conclusion: Health is personal and impacts people in various ways.  Access to health services, while funded in Aotearoa, still create barriers for some people and perpetuates the gap between prevention and diagnosis of chronic disease.  Kaupapa Māori methods within research support Māori engagement and definition within research through historical ways of being, knowing and conducting research.  Participants of this study detailed experiences within health services, highlighting willingness and ability to engage with health services.  Prior research defined the development of the Levesque access and accessibility framework, which correlates with the findings within this study."

year: 2024-07-27