title: ‘Body practices—exposure and effect of a sporting culture?’ Stories from three Australian swimmers

authors: McMahon, Jennifer Ann

subjects: body

abstract: This paper contributes to sport, sociology and the body literature by exploring the ‘exposure and effect’ of culture, in particular bodily practices placed on three adolescent swimmers immersed in the Australian swimming culture using an ethnographic framework. The research reported is particularly notable as it addresses two distinct time points in the swimmers’ lives. The first section explores the adolescent experiences of three female swimmers within the cultural context of Australian swimming by articulating some of the specific body practices and ‘memes’ (ideas, symbols and practices) that they were exposed to and/or engaged within relation to the body. The second section of this paper focuses on the same three swimmers in the ‘present day’, some 10–30 years after being immersed in the Australian swimming culture as adolescents. It excavates their body practices and the relationships they now have with their body, and thus pursues the sustained impact of the body practices and ‘memes’ they were exposed to as adolescents. Analysis employs concepts drawn mainly from Foucault, particularly his thesis in regard to ‘disciplinary power’, ‘regulation’ ‘classification’ and ‘surveillance’. At a club (amateur) and National level, Australian swimming is revealed as an institution, a site and culture where particular techniques of power have become concentrated and have been brought to bear on individuals in systematic ways, with sometimes damaging effects arising for athletes’ long-term health and well-being, particularly if the individuals concerned continue to engage with cultural practices in regard to the body post-career.

text: ‘Body practices—exposure and effect of a sporting culture?’ Stories from three Australian swimmers This paper contributes to sport, sociology and the body literature by exploring the ‘exposure and effect’ of culture, in particular bodily practices placed on three adolescent swimmers immersed in the Australian swimming culture using an ethnographic framework. The research reported is particularly notable as it addresses two distinct time points in the swimmers’ lives. The first section explores the adolescent experiences of three female swimmers within the cultural context of Australian swimming by articulating some of the specific body practices and ‘memes’ (ideas, symbols and practices) that they were exposed to and/or engaged within relation to the body. The second section of this paper focuses on the same three swimmers in the ‘present day’, some 10–30 years after being immersed in the Australian swimming culture as adolescents. It excavates their body practices and the relationships they now have with their body, and thus pursues the sustained impact of the body practices and ‘memes’ they were exposed to as adolescents. Analysis employs concepts drawn mainly from Foucault, particularly his thesis in regard to ‘disciplinary power’, ‘regulation’ ‘classification’ and ‘surveillance’. At a club (amateur) and National level, Australian swimming is revealed as an institution, a site and culture where particular techniques of power have become concentrated and have been brought to bear on individuals in systematic ways, with sometimes damaging effects arising for athletes’ long-term health and well-being, particularly if the individuals concerned continue to engage with cultural practices in regard to the body post-career.

year: 2011

title: Development and Basic Calibration of an Acoustic Vector Network Analyser

authors: MacDonell, Marcus Scott Glengarry

subjects: Vector Network Analysis

abstract: This project aims to develop a method that drastically improves measurement of the acoustic properties of objects. Previously research at the University of Waikato has made progress with acoustic technologies as a precursor to a dual port vector network analyser. These technologies have been furthered to this end by 3D printing a modified coupler that now includes a flange with alignment pins, and a groove to house an O-ring as well as a number of other ``custom'' components for the coupler assembly. This assembly has been interfaced successfully with a VNA and collected data, this process is not straightforward and requires carefully thought-out adjustment to produce sensible data. Complicating this process is the vast difference in propagation speeds for acoustic and electromagnetic signals. The swept measurements performed show promising results that further prove the hardware and indicate that particular calibration terms namely those for isolation that are normally ignored in the electromagnetic domain are potentially crucial in the acoustic domain.

text: Development and Basic Calibration of an Acoustic Vector Network Analyser This project aims to develop a method that drastically improves measurement of the acoustic properties of objects. Previously research at the University of Waikato has made progress with acoustic technologies as a precursor to a dual port vector network analyser. These technologies have been furthered to this end by 3D printing a modified coupler that now includes a flange with alignment pins, and a groove to house an O-ring as well as a number of other ``custom'' components for the coupler assembly. This assembly has been interfaced successfully with a VNA and collected data, this process is not straightforward and requires carefully thought-out adjustment to produce sensible data. Complicating this process is the vast difference in propagation speeds for acoustic and electromagnetic signals. The swept measurements performed show promising results that further prove the hardware and indicate that particular calibration terms namely those for isolation that are normally ignored in the electromagnetic domain are potentially crucial in the acoustic domain.

year: 2017

title: Representations of te reo Māori and te ao Māori in a translingual picturebook: How my Koro became a Star

authors: Barbour, Julie Renee

subjects: Indigenous language and culture

abstract: While English is the most commonly used language in Aotearoa New Zealand, it is a multilingual nation with two languages recognised as official: te reo Māori (the Māori language) and New Zealand Sign Language. The English language is dominant in children’s literature published in Aotearoa New Zealand, but since the 1980s there has been an increase in the number of picturebooks featuring two languages, te reo Māori and English. Previous work has explored how representations of te reo Māori and English in pukapuka pikitia reorua (dual language picturebooks) in Aotearoa reflect changing attitudes towards the two languages. In this article, we focus particularly on Brianne Te Paa and Story Hemi-Morehouse’s picturebook How my Koro became a Star. Originally written in te reo Māori, this multi-award winning picturebook is located at the beginning of Matariki, the Māori New Year celebration. In a move away from the linguistic analysis of te reo Māori being ‘borrowed’ by English, we consider how storytellers like Te Paa weave Māori language together with English in a translingual publication, supporting reader comprehension of Māori vocabulary and cultural meanings through embedded illustrations and explanations, inviting the curious reader to learn beyond the story.

text: Representations of te reo Māori and te ao Māori in a translingual picturebook: How my Koro became a Star While English is the most commonly used language in Aotearoa New Zealand, it is a multilingual nation with two languages recognised as official: te reo Māori (the Māori language) and New Zealand Sign Language. The English language is dominant in children’s literature published in Aotearoa New Zealand, but since the 1980s there has been an increase in the number of picturebooks featuring two languages, te reo Māori and English. Previous work has explored how representations of te reo Māori and English in pukapuka pikitia reorua (dual language picturebooks) in Aotearoa reflect changing attitudes towards the two languages. In this article, we focus particularly on Brianne Te Paa and Story Hemi-Morehouse’s picturebook How my Koro became a Star. Originally written in te reo Māori, this multi-award winning picturebook is located at the beginning of Matariki, the Māori New Year celebration. In a move away from the linguistic analysis of te reo Māori being ‘borrowed’ by English, we consider how storytellers like Te Paa weave Māori language together with English in a translingual publication, supporting reader comprehension of Māori vocabulary and cultural meanings through embedded illustrations and explanations, inviting the curious reader to learn beyond the story.

year: 2025