title: Young women's negotiation of multiple fields of femininity and physicality in physical activity and Physical Education in an international school in Taiwan

authors: Thomas, Melissa Maree

subjects: physical activity

abstract: Gender research over the past three decades has emphasised the socially constructed nature of experience in physical activity. Numerous studies have explored the influence of cultural, social, economic and political influences on young women's understandings of their bodies, physical activity, sport and physical education, although this research is limited to a focus on the western context. As a New Zealand physical education teacher in an international school in Taiwan, I set out to investigate the physical activity experiences of young women attending this school and the associated implications for teaching physical education. My study involved a focus group and in-depth interviews with four young women. I adopted a Bourdieudian approach in my data analysis in order to investigate ways in which the young women negotiated norms, rules, practices and expectations of femininity and physicality within and across multiple fields. A significant presence of an 'Asian mindset' was highlighted, which presented a focus on academic achievement and traditional Taiwanese forms of appropriate femininity and physicality. Resulting valuation systems often conflicted with those present in the physical education class. The findings revealed young women negotiated these value systems through various means. Some chose to accept and embody these values limiting their engagement in physical education, while other young women were empowered to challenge them, enhancing their engagement in physical education. This study contributes to gender and physical education research as it offers a perspective of the diverse nature of young women's experiences in physical activity within a non-western context.

text: Young women's negotiation of multiple fields of femininity and physicality in physical activity and Physical Education in an international school in Taiwan Gender research over the past three decades has emphasised the socially constructed nature of experience in physical activity. Numerous studies have explored the influence of cultural, social, economic and political influences on young women's understandings of their bodies, physical activity, sport and physical education, although this research is limited to a focus on the western context. As a New Zealand physical education teacher in an international school in Taiwan, I set out to investigate the physical activity experiences of young women attending this school and the associated implications for teaching physical education. My study involved a focus group and in-depth interviews with four young women. I adopted a Bourdieudian approach in my data analysis in order to investigate ways in which the young women negotiated norms, rules, practices and expectations of femininity and physicality within and across multiple fields. A significant presence of an 'Asian mindset' was highlighted, which presented a focus on academic achievement and traditional Taiwanese forms of appropriate femininity and physicality. Resulting valuation systems often conflicted with those present in the physical education class. The findings revealed young women negotiated these value systems through various means. Some chose to accept and embody these values limiting their engagement in physical education, while other young women were empowered to challenge them, enhancing their engagement in physical education. This study contributes to gender and physical education research as it offers a perspective of the diverse nature of young women's experiences in physical activity within a non-western context.

year: 2009

title: Contribution of soil bacteria to the atmosphere across biomes

authors: Archer, Stephen D.J.

subjects: Atmospheric microbiology

abstract: The dispersion of microorganisms through the atmosphere is a continual and essential process that underpins biogeography and ecosystem development and function. Despite the ubiquity of atmospheric microorganisms globally, specific knowledge of the determinants of atmospheric microbial diversity at any given location remains unresolved. Here we describe bacterial diversity in the atmospheric boundary layer and underlying soil at twelve globally distributed locations encompassing all major biomes, and characterise the contribution of local and distant soils to the observed atmospheric community. Across biomes the diversity of bacteria in the atmosphere was negatively correlated with mean annual precipitation but positively correlated to mean annual temperature. We identified distinct non-randomly assembled atmosphere and soil communities from each location, and some broad trends persisted across biomes including the enrichment of desiccation and UV tolerant taxa in the atmospheric community. Source tracking revealed that local soils were more influential than distant soil sources in determining observed diversity in the atmosphere, with more emissive semi-arid and arid biomes contributing most to signatures from distant soil. Our findings highlight complexities in the atmospheric microbiota that are relevant to understanding regional and global ecosystem connectivity.

text: Contribution of soil bacteria to the atmosphere across biomes The dispersion of microorganisms through the atmosphere is a continual and essential process that underpins biogeography and ecosystem development and function. Despite the ubiquity of atmospheric microorganisms globally, specific knowledge of the determinants of atmospheric microbial diversity at any given location remains unresolved. Here we describe bacterial diversity in the atmospheric boundary layer and underlying soil at twelve globally distributed locations encompassing all major biomes, and characterise the contribution of local and distant soils to the observed atmospheric community. Across biomes the diversity of bacteria in the atmosphere was negatively correlated with mean annual precipitation but positively correlated to mean annual temperature. We identified distinct non-randomly assembled atmosphere and soil communities from each location, and some broad trends persisted across biomes including the enrichment of desiccation and UV tolerant taxa in the atmospheric community. Source tracking revealed that local soils were more influential than distant soil sources in determining observed diversity in the atmosphere, with more emissive semi-arid and arid biomes contributing most to signatures from distant soil. Our findings highlight complexities in the atmospheric microbiota that are relevant to understanding regional and global ecosystem connectivity.

year: 2023-02-10

title: Keeping Chooks at Home in the Waikato:  Exploring Postcolonial, Feminist and  Kaupapa M ori Perspectives

authors: Burnett, Zavier

subjects: Chooks

abstract: This thesis considers the narratives of eight M ori chook keepers from the Waikato rohe, Aotearoa. The Waikato rohe has been selected due to its significant history of M ori horticultural and agricultural practises, including chook keeping. 

I build on the growing corpus of m tauranga about indigenous studies. Using a postcolonial, feminist and Kaupapa M ori theoretical framework, I undertook five semi-structured interviews and one focus r p  with M ori kaum tua. This thesis does not attempt to represent all M ori. There may be considerable difference between wh nau, hap  and iwi practices. However, the rangahau provides insights into the views of eight individuals and their experiences with chooks. I have also utilised Country Calendar (1970; 1977a; 1977b and 1980) episodes and children's pukapuka such as Nanny Mihi's Garden (Drewery 2002) for the purposes of discourse analysis. 

By listening to these stories, kaupapa including race, class and ethnicity emerge that affect the participants' everyday lives as chook keepers. The participants view chooks in a variety of ways. First, as a means of food production. By integrating chooks into their communities, the participants are able to provide a nutritious and low-cost kai source for themselves and their wh nau. This attempts to at least in part address their poverty problems. Second, as a hybridised P keh  and M ori kararehe. Third, as hysterical, comical, silly and helpless. I explore these issues within the broader context of colonial, neocolonial and anticolonial practices.

text: Keeping Chooks at Home in the Waikato:  Exploring Postcolonial, Feminist and  Kaupapa M ori Perspectives This thesis considers the narratives of eight M ori chook keepers from the Waikato rohe, Aotearoa. The Waikato rohe has been selected due to its significant history of M ori horticultural and agricultural practises, including chook keeping. 

I build on the growing corpus of m tauranga about indigenous studies. Using a postcolonial, feminist and Kaupapa M ori theoretical framework, I undertook five semi-structured interviews and one focus r p  with M ori kaum tua. This thesis does not attempt to represent all M ori. There may be considerable difference between wh nau, hap  and iwi practices. However, the rangahau provides insights into the views of eight individuals and their experiences with chooks. I have also utilised Country Calendar (1970; 1977a; 1977b and 1980) episodes and children's pukapuka such as Nanny Mihi's Garden (Drewery 2002) for the purposes of discourse analysis. 

By listening to these stories, kaupapa including race, class and ethnicity emerge that affect the participants' everyday lives as chook keepers. The participants view chooks in a variety of ways. First, as a means of food production. By integrating chooks into their communities, the participants are able to provide a nutritious and low-cost kai source for themselves and their wh nau. This attempts to at least in part address their poverty problems. Second, as a hybridised P keh  and M ori kararehe. Third, as hysterical, comical, silly and helpless. I explore these issues within the broader context of colonial, neocolonial and anticolonial practices.

year: 2006