title: Te Pae Mahutonga and the measurement of community capital in regional Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Ryks, John

abstract: Regionally, iwi and hapū have limited influence over structural changes such as population decline, proximity to labour markets and ageing, and to some extent economic cycles. However, there is still considerable value in thinking about how relevant indicators might point to the regeneration and overall well-being of Māori communities. In this paper we present an exploratory framework that links Durie’s Te Pae Mahutonga model of Māori well-being to the measurement of community capital. We use Te Pae Mahutonga as the basis for developing a number of key indicators for understanding Māori well-being in the regions and apply the framework and indicators to three regional settlements in Aotearoa New Zealand: Pōkeno, Huntly and Ōpōtiki.

text: Te Pae Mahutonga and the measurement of community capital in regional Aotearoa New Zealand Regionally, iwi and hapū have limited influence over structural changes such as population decline, proximity to labour markets and ageing, and to some extent economic cycles. However, there is still considerable value in thinking about how relevant indicators might point to the regeneration and overall well-being of Māori communities. In this paper we present an exploratory framework that links Durie’s Te Pae Mahutonga model of Māori well-being to the measurement of community capital. We use Te Pae Mahutonga as the basis for developing a number of key indicators for understanding Māori well-being in the regions and apply the framework and indicators to three regional settlements in Aotearoa New Zealand: Pōkeno, Huntly and Ōpōtiki.

year: 2018

title: "Everything has shaped you": Contributors to young Māori university students' ability to flourish

authors: Major, Darcie Ngahuia

subjects: Maori

abstract: There are many disparities when considering the health and wellbeing of Māori in Aotearoa today, and the education sector is no different, with Māori less likely to leave school with level 2 certificate or higher compared with non-Māori.  In response to the deficit orientated research on Māori and education, my thesis explores those factors contributing to young Māori tertiary students flourishing. My research includes five students from the University of Waikato who were between the ages of 17-24 years. A multi-method qualitative approach was utilised while engaging a Kaupapa Māori research framework. Participants were found to have a range of interconnected factors which contribute to their ability to flourish both inside and outside of the university.  Of particular importance to my participants was relational connectedness or whanaungatanga within and outside of the tertiary environment, landscapes which offered multiple forms of care, and notions of both collective and individual motivation. Some of the challenges experienced by my participants included a sense of socio-cultural isolation, the minimal inclusion of Māori worldviews and perspectives within the general curriculum, and the personal stress of responding to negative stereotypes of Maori as generally unproductive members of society. Flourishing for my participants is therefore multi-layered, and recognises the interconnected nature of health and wellbeing.

text: "Everything has shaped you": Contributors to young Māori university students' ability to flourish There are many disparities when considering the health and wellbeing of Māori in Aotearoa today, and the education sector is no different, with Māori less likely to leave school with level 2 certificate or higher compared with non-Māori.  In response to the deficit orientated research on Māori and education, my thesis explores those factors contributing to young Māori tertiary students flourishing. My research includes five students from the University of Waikato who were between the ages of 17-24 years. A multi-method qualitative approach was utilised while engaging a Kaupapa Māori research framework. Participants were found to have a range of interconnected factors which contribute to their ability to flourish both inside and outside of the university.  Of particular importance to my participants was relational connectedness or whanaungatanga within and outside of the tertiary environment, landscapes which offered multiple forms of care, and notions of both collective and individual motivation. Some of the challenges experienced by my participants included a sense of socio-cultural isolation, the minimal inclusion of Māori worldviews and perspectives within the general curriculum, and the personal stress of responding to negative stereotypes of Maori as generally unproductive members of society. Flourishing for my participants is therefore multi-layered, and recognises the interconnected nature of health and wellbeing.

year: 2017

title: Self-organising map analysis of rugby placekicking biomechanics

authors: Hébert-Losier, Kim

subjects: artificial neural network

abstract: Our aim was to use a self-organising map (SOM) to examine key biomechanical variables previously identified to discriminate best from worst placekicking attempts. Placekicker and ball 3D biomechanics were acquired from three competitive placekickers who performed 10 kicks outdoors, 35-m from the posts. Seven key variables were extracted for SOM analysis and kicks were categorised into "best", "typical", and "worst" for each placekicker based on kick outcomes and player and coach ratings. SOM output indicated that three clusters best explained intra-cluster similarities and inter-cluster differences. The three clusters highlighted differences between the biomechanical variables of the three placekickers rather than the best, typical, and worst kicks. Within-clusters, however, the best and worst kicks tended to be represented by nodes in separate map regions.

text: Self-organising map analysis of rugby placekicking biomechanics Our aim was to use a self-organising map (SOM) to examine key biomechanical variables previously identified to discriminate best from worst placekicking attempts. Placekicker and ball 3D biomechanics were acquired from three competitive placekickers who performed 10 kicks outdoors, 35-m from the posts. Seven key variables were extracted for SOM analysis and kicks were categorised into "best", "typical", and "worst" for each placekicker based on kick outcomes and player and coach ratings. SOM output indicated that three clusters best explained intra-cluster similarities and inter-cluster differences. The three clusters highlighted differences between the biomechanical variables of the three placekickers rather than the best, typical, and worst kicks. Within-clusters, however, the best and worst kicks tended to be represented by nodes in separate map regions.

year: 2018