title: A view of computer music from New Zealand: Auckland, Waikato and the Asia/Pacific connection

authors: Dart, William

subjects: music

abstract: Dealing predominantly with ‘art music’ aspects of electroacoustic music practice, this paper looks at cultural, aesthetic, environmental and technical influences on current and emerging practices from the upper half of the North Island of New Zealand. It also discusses the influences of Asian and Pacific cultures on the idiom locally. Rather than dwell on the similarities with current international styles, the focus is largely on some of the differences.

text: A view of computer music from New Zealand: Auckland, Waikato and the Asia/Pacific connection Dealing predominantly with ‘art music’ aspects of electroacoustic music practice, this paper looks at cultural, aesthetic, environmental and technical influences on current and emerging practices from the upper half of the North Island of New Zealand. It also discusses the influences of Asian and Pacific cultures on the idiom locally. Rather than dwell on the similarities with current international styles, the focus is largely on some of the differences.

year: 2001

title: Agricultural intensification: Whither indigenous biodiversity?

authors: Lee, William G.

subjects: agricultural sustainability

abstract: A new wave of agricultural intensification in New Zealand is causing increasing pressure on natural resources. Moller et al. (2008) suggest that the agricultural intensification is inevitable, that negative environmental impacts have only been demonstrated for aquatic systems, and that a new paradigm based on integrating indigenous biodiversity and agriculture offers the best way forward. We question all these assertions. Recent agricultural intensification is increasingly driven by international economic opportunities for agricorporates to maximise returns. Intensification over the last two decades is causing loss of habitat for indigenous species and homogenisation of landscapes at scales unprecedented since deforestation by colonial farmers. Regional and district councils appear ill prepared for a formative role requiring sustainable land and resource use, while current patterns of local consumption and offshore resource subsidisation for agribusinesses are probably unsustainable. Irrespective of the drivers of agricultural intensification, residual indigenous biodiversity in agricultural landscapes in New Zealand is on an extinction pathway. The challenge for agro-industry is to demonstrate that it can, in the absence of regulation, use natural resources and at the same time facilitate persistence of indigenous biodiversity components at scales that contribute to national biodiversity goals.

text: Agricultural intensification: Whither indigenous biodiversity? A new wave of agricultural intensification in New Zealand is causing increasing pressure on natural resources. Moller et al. (2008) suggest that the agricultural intensification is inevitable, that negative environmental impacts have only been demonstrated for aquatic systems, and that a new paradigm based on integrating indigenous biodiversity and agriculture offers the best way forward. We question all these assertions. Recent agricultural intensification is increasingly driven by international economic opportunities for agricorporates to maximise returns. Intensification over the last two decades is causing loss of habitat for indigenous species and homogenisation of landscapes at scales unprecedented since deforestation by colonial farmers. Regional and district councils appear ill prepared for a formative role requiring sustainable land and resource use, while current patterns of local consumption and offshore resource subsidisation for agribusinesses are probably unsustainable. Irrespective of the drivers of agricultural intensification, residual indigenous biodiversity in agricultural landscapes in New Zealand is on an extinction pathway. The challenge for agro-industry is to demonstrate that it can, in the absence of regulation, use natural resources and at the same time facilitate persistence of indigenous biodiversity components at scales that contribute to national biodiversity goals.

year: 2008

title: Kia mate rā anō a Tama-nui-te-rā: reversing language shift in Kōhanga reo

authors: Skerrett White, Mere Ngāutauta

abstract: This thesis focuses on reversing language shift (RLS) efforts via the revernacularisation of te reo Māori (the Māori language) in Te Amokura Kōhanga Reo (Māori language nest). J. Fishman’s (2001a) graded intergenerational disruption scale (GIDS), and M. Durie’s (2001, 2003) discussions on Māori educational advancement provide conceptual frameworks for the meaning-making, cultural and symbolic relationships of language to culture and identity (Fishman, 1996). This qualitative case study involves three young children and their families who are committed to the intergenerational transmission of te reo Māori, the threatened indigenous heritage language of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Observational data was analysed illustrating these bilingual, biliterate, bicultural, bicognitive and bilateral children and their use of sophisticated language for increasingly complex purposes. This study identifies how children’s learning dispositions for shared reference with adults (who are active listeners and thoughtful speakers in meaningful activities [Carr, M., 2000, 2001]) are part of the deep structure of a unique cultural context successfully supporting language revernacularisation. In addition the study develops critical insights into how RLS can be viewed as the linguistic arm for furthering Māori aspirations of tino rangatiratanga (Bishop, R., 1997a; Bishop R., & Glynn, T., 1999) and has further implications for language planning, pedagogy and praxis in Kōhanga Reo.

text: Kia mate rā anō a Tama-nui-te-rā: reversing language shift in Kōhanga reo This thesis focuses on reversing language shift (RLS) efforts via the revernacularisation of te reo Māori (the Māori language) in Te Amokura Kōhanga Reo (Māori language nest). J. Fishman’s (2001a) graded intergenerational disruption scale (GIDS), and M. Durie’s (2001, 2003) discussions on Māori educational advancement provide conceptual frameworks for the meaning-making, cultural and symbolic relationships of language to culture and identity (Fishman, 1996). This qualitative case study involves three young children and their families who are committed to the intergenerational transmission of te reo Māori, the threatened indigenous heritage language of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Observational data was analysed illustrating these bilingual, biliterate, bicultural, bicognitive and bilateral children and their use of sophisticated language for increasingly complex purposes. This study identifies how children’s learning dispositions for shared reference with adults (who are active listeners and thoughtful speakers in meaningful activities [Carr, M., 2000, 2001]) are part of the deep structure of a unique cultural context successfully supporting language revernacularisation. In addition the study develops critical insights into how RLS can be viewed as the linguistic arm for furthering Māori aspirations of tino rangatiratanga (Bishop, R., 1997a; Bishop R., & Glynn, T., 1999) and has further implications for language planning, pedagogy and praxis in Kōhanga Reo.

year: 2003