title: Welfare reform: its impact on women as mothers and workers

authors: Scott, Bronwyn

subjects: welfare reform

abstract: Introduced in 1973, the Domestic Purposes Benefit was designed to give single mothers the opportunity available to partnered mothers, to provide full time care to their dependent children. However, families headed by lone mothers soon became a major social policy problem, both internationally and in New Zealand. Mimicking changes seen internationally, New Zealand’s fifth National Government introduced dramatic welfare reforms in 2012 and 2013, with the stated aim of reducing long-term welfare dependency. Single mothers have been identified as a ‘priority group’, and have consequently been the focus of much of the reforms including stricter workfare policies, so called ‘social obligations’ and a punitive sanction regime. This thesis explores the impact recent welfare reforms have had on single mothers, as mothers and as workers, and the resulting conflict between these roles. The theoretical framework for this research is informed by feminist social constructionism. Using discourse analysis, Work and Income publications and Amendment Bill reading speeches, were collected and analysed. These were then compared to analysed transcripts from semi-structured interviews with nine single mothers and seven key informants. Findings reveal that despite the numerous barriers single mothers face to entering paid employment, within Work and Income publications and ministerial speeches they are constructed as androcentric ideal workers. Single mothers’ caregiving responsibilities are rendered invisible, and are addressed only as they serve to restrict their ability to be in paid work. Although single mothers echoed much of this discursive construction, they ultimately rejected it by concluding that their caregiving responsibilities were more important than paid work. Reforms have also attacked the character of women raising children on welfare, deploying discourses that construct single mothers as lazy non-contributors, who are happy to live a supposedly lavish lifestyle at the expense of the hardworking New Zealand taxpayer. Although single mothers believed that the stereotypical mother on welfare existed, they deployed a number of tactics to resist these, and show how their circumstances and characters differed. This study contributes to a growing body of research in the wake of recent reforms in New Zealand, offering women’s experiences as a legitimate source of knowledge.

text: Welfare reform: its impact on women as mothers and workers Introduced in 1973, the Domestic Purposes Benefit was designed to give single mothers the opportunity available to partnered mothers, to provide full time care to their dependent children. However, families headed by lone mothers soon became a major social policy problem, both internationally and in New Zealand. Mimicking changes seen internationally, New Zealand’s fifth National Government introduced dramatic welfare reforms in 2012 and 2013, with the stated aim of reducing long-term welfare dependency. Single mothers have been identified as a ‘priority group’, and have consequently been the focus of much of the reforms including stricter workfare policies, so called ‘social obligations’ and a punitive sanction regime. This thesis explores the impact recent welfare reforms have had on single mothers, as mothers and as workers, and the resulting conflict between these roles. The theoretical framework for this research is informed by feminist social constructionism. Using discourse analysis, Work and Income publications and Amendment Bill reading speeches, were collected and analysed. These were then compared to analysed transcripts from semi-structured interviews with nine single mothers and seven key informants. Findings reveal that despite the numerous barriers single mothers face to entering paid employment, within Work and Income publications and ministerial speeches they are constructed as androcentric ideal workers. Single mothers’ caregiving responsibilities are rendered invisible, and are addressed only as they serve to restrict their ability to be in paid work. Although single mothers echoed much of this discursive construction, they ultimately rejected it by concluding that their caregiving responsibilities were more important than paid work. Reforms have also attacked the character of women raising children on welfare, deploying discourses that construct single mothers as lazy non-contributors, who are happy to live a supposedly lavish lifestyle at the expense of the hardworking New Zealand taxpayer. Although single mothers believed that the stereotypical mother on welfare existed, they deployed a number of tactics to resist these, and show how their circumstances and characters differed. This study contributes to a growing body of research in the wake of recent reforms in New Zealand, offering women’s experiences as a legitimate source of knowledge.

year: 2014

title: Bimetallic nickel complexes with bridging dithiolato Schiff base ligands: synthesis, mass spectral characterisation and electrochemistry

authors: Moutloali, Richard M.

subjects: dithiolato schiff base

abstract: Schiff base dithiols with thiophene or phenyl linkers were prepared from condensation of the dialdehydes 2,5-(OHC)₂C₄H₂S, 1,3-(OHC)₂C₆H₄, 1,4-(OHC)₂C₆H₄ and 1,4'-(OHC)₂(C₆H₄)₂ with 4-H₂NC₆H₄(SH). The Schiff base dithiols readily reacted with Ni( ⁵-C₅H₅)(PR₃)Br (R=Bu or Ph) in the presence of Et₃N to form bimetallic complexes ( ⁵-C₅H₅)(PR₃)Ni&unknown;SC₆H₄N&unknown;C(H)ArC(H)&unknown;NC₆H₄S&unknown;Ni(PR₃)( ⁵-C₅H₅) (Ar=C₄H₂S (6), 1,3-C₆H₄ (7), 1,4-C₆H₄ (8), 1,4'-(C₆H₄)₂ (9). The bimetallic nature was established from elemental analysis and mass spectrometry. Cyclic voltammetry of complexes 6, 8 and 9 are indicative of electronic communication between the nickel centres via the bridging dithiolato Schiff base ligands.

text: Bimetallic nickel complexes with bridging dithiolato Schiff base ligands: synthesis, mass spectral characterisation and electrochemistry Schiff base dithiols with thiophene or phenyl linkers were prepared from condensation of the dialdehydes 2,5-(OHC)₂C₄H₂S, 1,3-(OHC)₂C₆H₄, 1,4-(OHC)₂C₆H₄ and 1,4'-(OHC)₂(C₆H₄)₂ with 4-H₂NC₆H₄(SH). The Schiff base dithiols readily reacted with Ni( ⁵-C₅H₅)(PR₃)Br (R=Bu or Ph) in the presence of Et₃N to form bimetallic complexes ( ⁵-C₅H₅)(PR₃)Ni&unknown;SC₆H₄N&unknown;C(H)ArC(H)&unknown;NC₆H₄S&unknown;Ni(PR₃)( ⁵-C₅H₅) (Ar=C₄H₂S (6), 1,3-C₆H₄ (7), 1,4-C₆H₄ (8), 1,4'-(C₆H₄)₂ (9). The bimetallic nature was established from elemental analysis and mass spectrometry. Cyclic voltammetry of complexes 6, 8 and 9 are indicative of electronic communication between the nickel centres via the bridging dithiolato Schiff base ligands.

year: 2002

title: Ngā ia nōnoke taketake

authors: Manuirirangi, Hōri

subjects: whātōtō nōnoke mamau

abstract: Tā tēnei tuhinga, he titiro ki ngā kōrero onamata mō ngā mahi nōnoke a te Māori. I mua, whāia ai te nōnoke e ētehi hapori Māori hei koringa tinana, hei tū hākinakina, hei tākaro hoki. Ko te nōnoke, te whātōtō, te taitai me te mamau, he rite katoa. Nō te kuhutanga mai o ngā tini whakaawenga a tauiwi, ka nui hoki te Māori i tahuri ki hākinakina kē. Nāwhai ā ka mimiti te whāia o te nōnoke. Kei tēnei tuhinga, ka āta wetekina ngā kupu me ngā kōrero o te reo nōnoke o mua, arā ngā tohutohu a ngā pāhake e whakaahua ana i ngā tūmomo neke, i ngā whiu me ngā puringa mahia ai e te kaiwhātōtō. Ka arohaehaetia tēnei mea te karakia, te waiata me te pepeha kia kuhuna ai te hinengaro o te kaiwhātōtō e mārama rawa ai te ia o ōna whakaaro, tōna waiaro me tōna whanonga. Waihoki ko ngā pūrākau o mua, kua whakaemia ētehi tauira kia tīroua ngā karere i whaona ki roto. Ko te tino whāinga, ko te whera i ngā rangahau nei kia āta mōhio ki ngā koronga me ngā horopaki whāia ai e te Māori o mua ngā mahi nōnoke.

text: Ngā ia nōnoke taketake Tā tēnei tuhinga, he titiro ki ngā kōrero onamata mō ngā mahi nōnoke a te Māori. I mua, whāia ai te nōnoke e ētehi hapori Māori hei koringa tinana, hei tū hākinakina, hei tākaro hoki. Ko te nōnoke, te whātōtō, te taitai me te mamau, he rite katoa. Nō te kuhutanga mai o ngā tini whakaawenga a tauiwi, ka nui hoki te Māori i tahuri ki hākinakina kē. Nāwhai ā ka mimiti te whāia o te nōnoke. Kei tēnei tuhinga, ka āta wetekina ngā kupu me ngā kōrero o te reo nōnoke o mua, arā ngā tohutohu a ngā pāhake e whakaahua ana i ngā tūmomo neke, i ngā whiu me ngā puringa mahia ai e te kaiwhātōtō. Ka arohaehaetia tēnei mea te karakia, te waiata me te pepeha kia kuhuna ai te hinengaro o te kaiwhātōtō e mārama rawa ai te ia o ōna whakaaro, tōna waiaro me tōna whanonga. Waihoki ko ngā pūrākau o mua, kua whakaemia ētehi tauira kia tīroua ngā karere i whaona ki roto. Ko te tino whāinga, ko te whera i ngā rangahau nei kia āta mōhio ki ngā koronga me ngā horopaki whāia ai e te Māori o mua ngā mahi nōnoke.

year: 2017