title: Doing the damage? An examination of masculinities and men's rugby experiences of pain, fear and pleasure

authors: Pringle, Richard

abstract: Rugby union's prominent and historic link with males, within Aotearoa/New Zealand, has helped constitute it as a key signifier of masculinity. Feminist-inspired research suggests, however, that heavy-contact sports, like rugby, help (re)produce a problematic form of masculinity that marginalises other masculinities, contributes to health problems and facilitates male privilege in society. Despite these points of view, there have been relatively few empirical examinations of relationships between sport, pain and masculinities. This thesis provided such an examination. 
The prime research question, that underpinned this study, was: "How do men's rugby experiences of fear, pain and/or pleasure articulate with discourses of masculinities?" The research approach used to examine this question was based on semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of fourteen men, and differed from previous such research in three key ways. Firstly, I interviewed men with abroad range of rugby experiences and did not specifically examine the experiences of elite sportsmen. Secondly, I analysed the men's rugby experiences of pain and injury, as well as their emotional experiences of fear and pleasure. Thirdly, I used Foucauldian theory to analyse the men's interview accounts rather than drawing on the Gramscian inspired concept of masculine hegemony. 
The results suggested that rugby was typically linked to dominating discourses of masculinities, through promoting belief that males should be tough, relatively unemotional, tolerant of pain, competitive and, at times, aggressive. This linkage was particularly influential during the men's school years. At this time, rugby acted as a normalising practice for males, a dividing practice between males and females, and as a producer of pleasure, but also, at times, tension, fear and pain. Rugby's pervasive influence provided a discursive space within which the men negotiated understandings of masculinities and self. However, these negotiations did not result in the simple affirmation and reproduction of dominating discourses of masculinity. In contrast, these negotiation processes were often undertaken with varying degrees of tension. The dominance of rugby in the men's schools, for example, resulted in many of the men experiencing tensions between fears of pain, skill limitations and the knowledge that participation in rugby was normal, and expected, for all males. These tensions encouraged many of these men to quit participation in rugby at a young age and for some, when older, to develop resistant readings of rugby and masculinities. These resistant readings positioned rugby players as uncritical thinkers, weak in character and foolish for risking injury. Yet, the men's relationships with rugby were not only complex and divergent but also, at times, paradoxical: many of the men performed an inconsistent range of practices in relation to rugby that simultaneously disturbed and supported dominating discourses of masculinities. 
Despite nearly all of the interview participants expressing some concerns about aspects of rugby with respect to violence, risk of injury and/or its links to masculinities, the men reported that they rarely disclosed their concerns in public. The dominating discourses of rugby, that positioned rugby as 'our national sport' and as a 'man's game', made it a formidable task to publicly critique rugby. The technologies of domination associated with rugby and masculinities still exerted considerable influence over the adult men. However, many of the men, including some who had been passionate adult rugby players, did exercise power against rugby and dominant masculinities. This resistance was exercised primarily through discouraging others, typically their sons, from playing rugby. Although not revolutionary, this micro-level form of resistance, if repeated on a grander scale, would contribute a challenge to rugby's state of dominance. 
The dominance of rugby provided a discursive space that produced, challenged and resisted dominating discourses of masculinities. My research findings, therefore, support the recognition that sport does not consistently or unambiguously produce culturally dominant conceptions of masculinities. In contrast to researchers who have examined institutionalised heavy-contact team sports through a lens filtered by hegemony theory, my results question the extent to which sports like rugby can be primarily regarded as producers of dominant and problematic masculinities. Although this finding could be regarded as a more optimistic reading of sport/masculinity relationships, my results reveal that concern about rugby's dominant social position within Aotearoa/New Zealand is still warranted.

text: Doing the damage? An examination of masculinities and men's rugby experiences of pain, fear and pleasure Rugby union's prominent and historic link with males, within Aotearoa/New Zealand, has helped constitute it as a key signifier of masculinity. Feminist-inspired research suggests, however, that heavy-contact sports, like rugby, help (re)produce a problematic form of masculinity that marginalises other masculinities, contributes to health problems and facilitates male privilege in society. Despite these points of view, there have been relatively few empirical examinations of relationships between sport, pain and masculinities. This thesis provided such an examination. 
The prime research question, that underpinned this study, was: "How do men's rugby experiences of fear, pain and/or pleasure articulate with discourses of masculinities?" The research approach used to examine this question was based on semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of fourteen men, and differed from previous such research in three key ways. Firstly, I interviewed men with abroad range of rugby experiences and did not specifically examine the experiences of elite sportsmen. Secondly, I analysed the men's rugby experiences of pain and injury, as well as their emotional experiences of fear and pleasure. Thirdly, I used Foucauldian theory to analyse the men's interview accounts rather than drawing on the Gramscian inspired concept of masculine hegemony. 
The results suggested that rugby was typically linked to dominating discourses of masculinities, through promoting belief that males should be tough, relatively unemotional, tolerant of pain, competitive and, at times, aggressive. This linkage was particularly influential during the men's school years. At this time, rugby acted as a normalising practice for males, a dividing practice between males and females, and as a producer of pleasure, but also, at times, tension, fear and pain. Rugby's pervasive influence provided a discursive space within which the men negotiated understandings of masculinities and self. However, these negotiations did not result in the simple affirmation and reproduction of dominating discourses of masculinity. In contrast, these negotiation processes were often undertaken with varying degrees of tension. The dominance of rugby in the men's schools, for example, resulted in many of the men experiencing tensions between fears of pain, skill limitations and the knowledge that participation in rugby was normal, and expected, for all males. These tensions encouraged many of these men to quit participation in rugby at a young age and for some, when older, to develop resistant readings of rugby and masculinities. These resistant readings positioned rugby players as uncritical thinkers, weak in character and foolish for risking injury. Yet, the men's relationships with rugby were not only complex and divergent but also, at times, paradoxical: many of the men performed an inconsistent range of practices in relation to rugby that simultaneously disturbed and supported dominating discourses of masculinities. 
Despite nearly all of the interview participants expressing some concerns about aspects of rugby with respect to violence, risk of injury and/or its links to masculinities, the men reported that they rarely disclosed their concerns in public. The dominating discourses of rugby, that positioned rugby as 'our national sport' and as a 'man's game', made it a formidable task to publicly critique rugby. The technologies of domination associated with rugby and masculinities still exerted considerable influence over the adult men. However, many of the men, including some who had been passionate adult rugby players, did exercise power against rugby and dominant masculinities. This resistance was exercised primarily through discouraging others, typically their sons, from playing rugby. Although not revolutionary, this micro-level form of resistance, if repeated on a grander scale, would contribute a challenge to rugby's state of dominance. 
The dominance of rugby provided a discursive space that produced, challenged and resisted dominating discourses of masculinities. My research findings, therefore, support the recognition that sport does not consistently or unambiguously produce culturally dominant conceptions of masculinities. In contrast to researchers who have examined institutionalised heavy-contact team sports through a lens filtered by hegemony theory, my results question the extent to which sports like rugby can be primarily regarded as producers of dominant and problematic masculinities. Although this finding could be regarded as a more optimistic reading of sport/masculinity relationships, my results reveal that concern about rugby's dominant social position within Aotearoa/New Zealand is still warranted.

year: 2003

title: The creative university: Creative social development and academic entrepreneurship

authors: Besley, Tina

subjects: Education

abstract: The idea that the university needs re-imagining has gained considerable currency since the 21th century. Just why this should be needs some analysis and an examination of the functions and role(s) of universities. Some universities, especially in USA, have recently conducted exercises to achieve this in specific ways that deal with local issues (e.g. Cornell, Harvard, Minnesota, New York, Brown¹). It seems that much of the re-imagining discourse focuses on institutional financial issues, and this tends to play out as part of the crisis in universities literature, which may well be related to the crisis in schools and reform movements there as promoted by neoliberal policy agendas. Crisis discourses frequently use economic consultant advisory reports from large multinational companies (e.g. Ernst & Young and Pearson as described later in this chapter) to provide some degree of analysis. More often than not solutions offered tend to promote forms of university that such as the entrepreneurial university that emphasize research and forms of academic entrepreneurship beyond the traditional forms related to publishing. More recently teaching has become the focus in re-imagining as many universities not only become more global in their focus, but as they start to address modalities of pedagogy as presented by recent IT based systems in MOOCs.

text: The creative university: Creative social development and academic entrepreneurship The idea that the university needs re-imagining has gained considerable currency since the 21th century. Just why this should be needs some analysis and an examination of the functions and role(s) of universities. Some universities, especially in USA, have recently conducted exercises to achieve this in specific ways that deal with local issues (e.g. Cornell, Harvard, Minnesota, New York, Brown¹). It seems that much of the re-imagining discourse focuses on institutional financial issues, and this tends to play out as part of the crisis in universities literature, which may well be related to the crisis in schools and reform movements there as promoted by neoliberal policy agendas. Crisis discourses frequently use economic consultant advisory reports from large multinational companies (e.g. Ernst & Young and Pearson as described later in this chapter) to provide some degree of analysis. More often than not solutions offered tend to promote forms of university that such as the entrepreneurial university that emphasize research and forms of academic entrepreneurship beyond the traditional forms related to publishing. More recently teaching has become the focus in re-imagining as many universities not only become more global in their focus, but as they start to address modalities of pedagogy as presented by recent IT based systems in MOOCs.

year: 2013

title: What is the difference? What factors contribute to the variation of achievement for Year 7 and 8 Māori students in high decile, full primary schools?

authors: McLocklan, Sue

subjects: Maori student achievement

abstract: The educational disparity between indigenous Māori students and those of the majority continue to be a major issue in New Zealand. Attempting to bridge the gap for Māori students has generated focus on Māori student engagement in the classroom, the actions and understanding of the teacher and the relationship and interactions between the teacher and students in their learning environment. Elements of culturally responsive pedagogy have been identified as positive contributing factors to accelerating academic achievement for secondary Māori mainstream students. 
This small-scale cross-cultural exploratory qualitative research project seeks to identify the factors that contribute to student achievement variation for Year 7 and 8 students in high decile full primary schools and the integration of teacher’s cultural competencies in high quality learning opportunities. Within a kaupapa Māori research process, this study uses empirical data collected from a purposive sample through a semi-structured individual interview and a for self-assessment. Voluntary research participants were twelve students and six teachers in three schools in the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Wellington regions. This research examines the engagement of student and teacher in pedagogical practice, learning variables, cultural knowledge and practices attributable to positive academic achievement for Māori. 
The findings reveal that when teachers place themselves in an agentic position; adopt a professional commitment and willingness to engage in effective relations, interactions and reciprocal practices to support Māori learners, high levels of relational trust and expectations prevail through mutual respect and interdependence to attain successful educational outcomes.
Further teacher professional learning is essential to enlighten and deepen teachers' understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy to enable Māori learners to reach their potential to participate and contribute in their world of choice.

text: What is the difference? What factors contribute to the variation of achievement for Year 7 and 8 Māori students in high decile, full primary schools? The educational disparity between indigenous Māori students and those of the majority continue to be a major issue in New Zealand. Attempting to bridge the gap for Māori students has generated focus on Māori student engagement in the classroom, the actions and understanding of the teacher and the relationship and interactions between the teacher and students in their learning environment. Elements of culturally responsive pedagogy have been identified as positive contributing factors to accelerating academic achievement for secondary Māori mainstream students. 
This small-scale cross-cultural exploratory qualitative research project seeks to identify the factors that contribute to student achievement variation for Year 7 and 8 students in high decile full primary schools and the integration of teacher’s cultural competencies in high quality learning opportunities. Within a kaupapa Māori research process, this study uses empirical data collected from a purposive sample through a semi-structured individual interview and a for self-assessment. Voluntary research participants were twelve students and six teachers in three schools in the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Wellington regions. This research examines the engagement of student and teacher in pedagogical practice, learning variables, cultural knowledge and practices attributable to positive academic achievement for Māori. 
The findings reveal that when teachers place themselves in an agentic position; adopt a professional commitment and willingness to engage in effective relations, interactions and reciprocal practices to support Māori learners, high levels of relational trust and expectations prevail through mutual respect and interdependence to attain successful educational outcomes.
Further teacher professional learning is essential to enlighten and deepen teachers' understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy to enable Māori learners to reach their potential to participate and contribute in their world of choice.

year: 2013