title: Convergence of public participation, participatory design and NLP to co-develop circular economy

authors: Dyer, Mark

abstract: The concept of a circular economy is at a crossroads. To date, it has been largely driven by top-down national or trans-national legislation such as EU Circular Economy Package or Chinese Circular Economy Promotion. Bottom-up or grassroots engagement has been minimal and innovation has been largely restricted to use of 3R or 4R frameworks to reduce, reuse, recycle materials and products or recover waste as energy. Greater implementation of a circular economy needs a paradigm shift in public attitudes coupled with greater innovation that moves from 3R to 9R framework. Building on the insights gained from the successful transition of two Scandinavian cities of Växjö and Sønderborg to becoming fossil fuel-free economies, the article explores use of natural language processing tools to create shared narratives and stories from large format public engagement that expresses common interests, values and priorities that in turn can contribute to a participatory design of a circular economy. The article uses published data from Christchurch ‘Share an Idea’ as a case study.

text: Convergence of public participation, participatory design and NLP to co-develop circular economy The concept of a circular economy is at a crossroads. To date, it has been largely driven by top-down national or trans-national legislation such as EU Circular Economy Package or Chinese Circular Economy Promotion. Bottom-up or grassroots engagement has been minimal and innovation has been largely restricted to use of 3R or 4R frameworks to reduce, reuse, recycle materials and products or recover waste as energy. Greater implementation of a circular economy needs a paradigm shift in public attitudes coupled with greater innovation that moves from 3R to 9R framework. Building on the insights gained from the successful transition of two Scandinavian cities of Växjö and Sønderborg to becoming fossil fuel-free economies, the article explores use of natural language processing tools to create shared narratives and stories from large format public engagement that expresses common interests, values and priorities that in turn can contribute to a participatory design of a circular economy. The article uses published data from Christchurch ‘Share an Idea’ as a case study.

year: 2021

title: Selective attention in dairy cattle

authors: Blackmore, Tania Louise

subjects: Social Sciences

abstract: In a replication of Reynolds (1961), two cows learned to discriminate between compound stimuli in a forced choice procedure where pushing through a one-way gate marked with a red cross (S+) gave access to food. Pushing through a one-way gate marked with a yellow triangle (S−) gave no access to food. To investigate whether shape or colour was controlling behaviour, probe tests varied either the shape or the colour of the stimuli (e.g., a red vs. a yellow cross, and a red cross vs. a red triangle). Results suggested control by colour rather than shape, as the gate marked with the red stimulus was chosen more than the gate marked with the yellow stimulus regardless of stimulus shape, and when two shapes of the same colour (either red or yellow) were presented, cows chose both equally. Further probe tests with painted red, white, and yellow stimuli showed that the cows had learned to avoid yellow rather than to approach red, suggesting discriminative behaviour was controlled by the colour of the negative stimulus and not by either aspect of the positive stimulus. It is not clear why the negative stimulus was more salient, but it may reflect a tendency for cows to learn to avoid farm handling practices which involve mainly negative stimuli.

text: Selective attention in dairy cattle In a replication of Reynolds (1961), two cows learned to discriminate between compound stimuli in a forced choice procedure where pushing through a one-way gate marked with a red cross (S+) gave access to food. Pushing through a one-way gate marked with a yellow triangle (S−) gave no access to food. To investigate whether shape or colour was controlling behaviour, probe tests varied either the shape or the colour of the stimuli (e.g., a red vs. a yellow cross, and a red cross vs. a red triangle). Results suggested control by colour rather than shape, as the gate marked with the red stimulus was chosen more than the gate marked with the yellow stimulus regardless of stimulus shape, and when two shapes of the same colour (either red or yellow) were presented, cows chose both equally. Further probe tests with painted red, white, and yellow stimuli showed that the cows had learned to avoid yellow rather than to approach red, suggesting discriminative behaviour was controlled by the colour of the negative stimulus and not by either aspect of the positive stimulus. It is not clear why the negative stimulus was more salient, but it may reflect a tendency for cows to learn to avoid farm handling practices which involve mainly negative stimuli.

year: 2016

title: Different coloured tears: Dual cultural identity and Tangihanga – A directed study

authors: Edge, Kiri

subjects: bereavement

abstract: Although whānau/family that are configured by both Pākehā and Māori identities number significantly within New Zealand, there has been little or no attention paid to the ways in which these identities influence the bereavement processes that will inevitably impact upon the lives of these whānau/family. The present study explored the experiences of an individual, whose whānau/family included two life ways; Māori and Pākehā. Of specific focus was the ways in which these identities influenced his bereavement subsequent to the death of his beloved wife, who was of Māori descent. One elderly male Pākehā participant was interviewed, using an open-ended narrative approach. The interview was semi structured around five broad themes, but the focus was upon the participant’s experiences and his preference in expressing these. The data analysis utilised a thematic process, which allowed the participant’s experiences to determine the emergent themes. The results depicted the diversity of issues that may be raised for dual cultural whānau/family within bereavement processes. Two central themes are discussed in relation to intercultural conflict and the eventual resolution that was created. Decision making processes, cultural and language differences played significant roles within the conflict and exclusion experienced by the participant. Communication and compromise provided resolution to the prior conflicts experienced. This created positive and unexpected outcomes which resulted in increased understandings and the strengthening of links between the participant, his whānau/family and his wife’s marae.

text: Different coloured tears: Dual cultural identity and Tangihanga – A directed study Although whānau/family that are configured by both Pākehā and Māori identities number significantly within New Zealand, there has been little or no attention paid to the ways in which these identities influence the bereavement processes that will inevitably impact upon the lives of these whānau/family. The present study explored the experiences of an individual, whose whānau/family included two life ways; Māori and Pākehā. Of specific focus was the ways in which these identities influenced his bereavement subsequent to the death of his beloved wife, who was of Māori descent. One elderly male Pākehā participant was interviewed, using an open-ended narrative approach. The interview was semi structured around five broad themes, but the focus was upon the participant’s experiences and his preference in expressing these. The data analysis utilised a thematic process, which allowed the participant’s experiences to determine the emergent themes. The results depicted the diversity of issues that may be raised for dual cultural whānau/family within bereavement processes. Two central themes are discussed in relation to intercultural conflict and the eventual resolution that was created. Decision making processes, cultural and language differences played significant roles within the conflict and exclusion experienced by the participant. Communication and compromise provided resolution to the prior conflicts experienced. This created positive and unexpected outcomes which resulted in increased understandings and the strengthening of links between the participant, his whānau/family and his wife’s marae.

year: 2010-01