title: Healing Pluralism and Responsibility: An Anthropological Study of Patient and Practitioner Beliefs

authors: Miskelly, Philippa Ann

subjects: medical pluralism

abstract: Combining the use of alternative and complementary therapies and orthodox medicine is an increasing phenomenon.  This thesis examines the implications of mixing and matching plural healing modalities against a backdrop of patient and practitioner responsibilities.   

From an anthropological perspective, the predominant use of qualitative methodology is an integral part of this research project.  Central to this study is the views of a variety of participant categories - patients who use both alternative and orthodox healing methods; non-medical alternative and complementary practitioners; medical doctors who integrate orthodox and CAM therapies into their daily practise; and orthodox general practitioners.  Interviews with these participants took place over an eighteen-month timeframe and involved face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, and focus group research.   Social constructionist theory, which forms part of the compendium of interpretive theoretical approaches adopted under the medical anthropology paradigm, has been used in order to expose the beliefs patients and practitioners hold about their own responsibilities, and those of the other participant categories.

This study reveals a palimpsest of complex, contradictory and competing discourses in relation to patient and practitioner expectations and responsibilities.  One important finding relates to the significance of neo-liberal and individualistic ideologies. This thesis concludes that the rhetoric from complementary and alternative practitioners, and their integrative colleagues, is heavily imbued with ideas about self-responsibility, particularly in relation to patient lifestyle choices and therapeutic compliance.   Patients and orthodox general practitioners share some of these views but in general adopt a more collective approach to health care responsibilities.  While patients are prepared to accept some responsibility for their illnesses and health keeping practises, they express strong reliance towards the orthodox health model as well as those doctors who practise integrative medicine.   However the same cannot be said of their attitudes towards CAM modalities where considerable ambivalence is evident towards both practitioners and the therapies themselves.   

The role of the state, and its responsibilities for the structure of the health care system in New Zealand, is also clearly influential in the construction of belief systems.  This is especially so because the rhetoric underlying neo-liberal and individualistic discourses now permeates the direction of health policies.   Increasing levels of surveillance, both at bureaucratic and individual levels, also attests to the influence of neo-liberalism and individualism.    This study exposes the tensions between the rhetoric of self-responsibility and the lived experiences of patients and health practitioners, which in many cases is more collective in its focus than is initially apparent.

text: Healing Pluralism and Responsibility: An Anthropological Study of Patient and Practitioner Beliefs Combining the use of alternative and complementary therapies and orthodox medicine is an increasing phenomenon.  This thesis examines the implications of mixing and matching plural healing modalities against a backdrop of patient and practitioner responsibilities.   

From an anthropological perspective, the predominant use of qualitative methodology is an integral part of this research project.  Central to this study is the views of a variety of participant categories - patients who use both alternative and orthodox healing methods; non-medical alternative and complementary practitioners; medical doctors who integrate orthodox and CAM therapies into their daily practise; and orthodox general practitioners.  Interviews with these participants took place over an eighteen-month timeframe and involved face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, and focus group research.   Social constructionist theory, which forms part of the compendium of interpretive theoretical approaches adopted under the medical anthropology paradigm, has been used in order to expose the beliefs patients and practitioners hold about their own responsibilities, and those of the other participant categories.

This study reveals a palimpsest of complex, contradictory and competing discourses in relation to patient and practitioner expectations and responsibilities.  One important finding relates to the significance of neo-liberal and individualistic ideologies. This thesis concludes that the rhetoric from complementary and alternative practitioners, and their integrative colleagues, is heavily imbued with ideas about self-responsibility, particularly in relation to patient lifestyle choices and therapeutic compliance.   Patients and orthodox general practitioners share some of these views but in general adopt a more collective approach to health care responsibilities.  While patients are prepared to accept some responsibility for their illnesses and health keeping practises, they express strong reliance towards the orthodox health model as well as those doctors who practise integrative medicine.   However the same cannot be said of their attitudes towards CAM modalities where considerable ambivalence is evident towards both practitioners and the therapies themselves.   

The role of the state, and its responsibilities for the structure of the health care system in New Zealand, is also clearly influential in the construction of belief systems.  This is especially so because the rhetoric underlying neo-liberal and individualistic discourses now permeates the direction of health policies.   Increasing levels of surveillance, both at bureaucratic and individual levels, also attests to the influence of neo-liberalism and individualism.    This study exposes the tensions between the rhetoric of self-responsibility and the lived experiences of patients and health practitioners, which in many cases is more collective in its focus than is initially apparent.

year: 2006

title: Professional development of ICT integration for secondary school teachers in Hong Kong: Towards a peer support enhanced model

authors: Lee, Theodore Tai Hoi

subjects: professional devleopment

abstract: Although information and communication technology (ICT) has gradually become a standard teaching technology in schools in many countries and regions like Hong Kong, the implementation of ICT in teaching and learning in schools still fails to meet high government and public expectations.  This study was an investigation into the potential of peer support to enhance professional development of ICT integration for secondary school teachers in Hong Kong.  

The study utilized peer support as a social approach to professional development and employed action research to examine the experiences of ten secondary school teachers who worked in five peer support groups for sixteen months.  A peer support model was introduced to the participants who then applied these principles in their own contexts.  Data on participants' reflections and evaluations of the peer support process was collected through individual interviews and peer-group conferences.  Each participant was interviewed at the beginning, middle and end of the research period and each peer group was interviewed at the end of the project.  By employing a grounded theory approach, themes related to the participants' experiences of peer support for ICT integration and the impact of peer support as a means of professional development were generated from the data. 
 
The study's findings indicate that the participants responded positively to peer support as a means of professional development.  Peer support was successful in: increasing professional interactions; broadening perspectives of ICT; increasing reflection; and providing personal and emotional support. 

From an analysis of the study's findings, in conjunction with a review of the appropriate literature, a teacher professional development model for ICT integration has been developed that may be helpful in furthering the goal of successful ICT integration.  This model focuses on the importance of intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic incentives and is based on a developmental process in which individual teachers determine their own practice through peer support enhanced critical reflection that continually expands their personal context of ICT integration.

text: Professional development of ICT integration for secondary school teachers in Hong Kong: Towards a peer support enhanced model Although information and communication technology (ICT) has gradually become a standard teaching technology in schools in many countries and regions like Hong Kong, the implementation of ICT in teaching and learning in schools still fails to meet high government and public expectations.  This study was an investigation into the potential of peer support to enhance professional development of ICT integration for secondary school teachers in Hong Kong.  

The study utilized peer support as a social approach to professional development and employed action research to examine the experiences of ten secondary school teachers who worked in five peer support groups for sixteen months.  A peer support model was introduced to the participants who then applied these principles in their own contexts.  Data on participants' reflections and evaluations of the peer support process was collected through individual interviews and peer-group conferences.  Each participant was interviewed at the beginning, middle and end of the research period and each peer group was interviewed at the end of the project.  By employing a grounded theory approach, themes related to the participants' experiences of peer support for ICT integration and the impact of peer support as a means of professional development were generated from the data. 
 
The study's findings indicate that the participants responded positively to peer support as a means of professional development.  Peer support was successful in: increasing professional interactions; broadening perspectives of ICT; increasing reflection; and providing personal and emotional support. 

From an analysis of the study's findings, in conjunction with a review of the appropriate literature, a teacher professional development model for ICT integration has been developed that may be helpful in furthering the goal of successful ICT integration.  This model focuses on the importance of intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic incentives and is based on a developmental process in which individual teachers determine their own practice through peer support enhanced critical reflection that continually expands their personal context of ICT integration.

year: 2007

title: Te matakite - Te kupu whakaari

authors: Temara, Pou

subjects: Matakite

abstract: Ko te whāinga o tēnei tuhinga poto he matapaki i te matakite me te kupu whakaari, arā, he whakatakoto i tētahi tūāpapa kōrero e mārama ai te kaipānui ki te tikanga o ēnei kaupapa e rua e ai ki tā te Māori i matapaki ai. Otirā, he kōrero tā ngā iwi katoa o te ao mō te matakite me te kupu whakaari, kai tēnā iwi tāna kōrero, kai tēnā iwi tāna. Kāore tēnei tuhinga e rere ki te whakamārama i ā ētahi kōrero, engari mau tonu ki te ao Māori. Mēnā ka whakahua i ngā whakamārama a ētahi atu iwi, e whai ana kia mārama ai te tauira ki tā te Māori i kōrero ai.

text: Te matakite - Te kupu whakaari Ko te whāinga o tēnei tuhinga poto he matapaki i te matakite me te kupu whakaari, arā, he whakatakoto i tētahi tūāpapa kōrero e mārama ai te kaipānui ki te tikanga o ēnei kaupapa e rua e ai ki tā te Māori i matapaki ai. Otirā, he kōrero tā ngā iwi katoa o te ao mō te matakite me te kupu whakaari, kai tēnā iwi tāna kōrero, kai tēnā iwi tāna. Kāore tēnei tuhinga e rere ki te whakamārama i ā ētahi kōrero, engari mau tonu ki te ao Māori. Mēnā ka whakahua i ngā whakamārama a ētahi atu iwi, e whai ana kia mārama ai te tauira ki tā te Māori i kōrero ai.

year: 2016