title: The housing crisis as an ideological artefact: Analysing how political discourse defines, diagnoses, and responds

authors: White, Iain

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: It is a truism that politicians from countries around the world claim to be in the midst of a ‘housing crisis’. But how do they define it, who is affected, and what is the cause? This paper provides a critical evaluation of the emergence and scope of political discourse connected to the housing crisis in New Zealand under three National Party led governments (2008-2017), with a view to better understanding the ways in which the issue has been problematized in politics and operationalized in policy. It finds that although researchers draw upon multiple strands of evidence and recognize housing as a complex problem, the political framing of a housing crisis is simpler and shows a closer relationship to long standing ideological perspectives, notably an inefficient planning system and low supply of development land. This raises critical questions for how housing researchers can better influence politics and challenge both the lived experience of crisis and existing claims of normalcy.

text: The housing crisis as an ideological artefact: Analysing how political discourse defines, diagnoses, and responds It is a truism that politicians from countries around the world claim to be in the midst of a ‘housing crisis’. But how do they define it, who is affected, and what is the cause? This paper provides a critical evaluation of the emergence and scope of political discourse connected to the housing crisis in New Zealand under three National Party led governments (2008-2017), with a view to better understanding the ways in which the issue has been problematized in politics and operationalized in policy. It finds that although researchers draw upon multiple strands of evidence and recognize housing as a complex problem, the political framing of a housing crisis is simpler and shows a closer relationship to long standing ideological perspectives, notably an inefficient planning system and low supply of development land. This raises critical questions for how housing researchers can better influence politics and challenge both the lived experience of crisis and existing claims of normalcy.

year: 2019

title: How can we help you? Communicating Social Welfare

authors: Schoenberger-Orgad, Sehai

subjects: social welfare communication

abstract: This thesis examines the ways in which public sector organisations communicate with people from lower socio-economic communities. 

The study is guided by the research question: Do the existing communication strategies of public sector organisations serve the needs of low decile communities in New Zealand?
The study looks at the communication strategies used by three public sector organisations - Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Hamilton City Council - to interact with residents of a low-decile neighbourhood in Hamilton. 

Positioned within the critical theoretical paradigm (e.g., Deetz, 2005; Mumby, 2000) which looks at issues of power, domination and asymmetry in terms of communication practices, the research shows how social policy is socially constructed in order to serve the political aims of the public sector but is not necessarily constructed in terms of the target publics of that organisation.

The study uses a three dimensional discourse analysis - text, context, and social
practices (Fairclough, 1992) - to analyse the formal communication and information dissemination structures, processes, and texts of these organisations and to examine the ways in which some of the intended target publics of these
organisations make sense of them and respond to them. 

The study includes an analysis of public documents put out by the organisations as well as interviews with youth workers, social workers, and representatives of the specific neighbourhood community.

Juxtaposing the textual analysis with the analysis of the interviews facilitates an evaluation of whether the communication strategies
of the organisations relate to the context of the socio-cultural practices of lowdecile
neighbourhoods.

text: How can we help you? Communicating Social Welfare This thesis examines the ways in which public sector organisations communicate with people from lower socio-economic communities. 

The study is guided by the research question: Do the existing communication strategies of public sector organisations serve the needs of low decile communities in New Zealand?
The study looks at the communication strategies used by three public sector organisations - Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Hamilton City Council - to interact with residents of a low-decile neighbourhood in Hamilton. 

Positioned within the critical theoretical paradigm (e.g., Deetz, 2005; Mumby, 2000) which looks at issues of power, domination and asymmetry in terms of communication practices, the research shows how social policy is socially constructed in order to serve the political aims of the public sector but is not necessarily constructed in terms of the target publics of that organisation.

The study uses a three dimensional discourse analysis - text, context, and social
practices (Fairclough, 1992) - to analyse the formal communication and information dissemination structures, processes, and texts of these organisations and to examine the ways in which some of the intended target publics of these
organisations make sense of them and respond to them. 

The study includes an analysis of public documents put out by the organisations as well as interviews with youth workers, social workers, and representatives of the specific neighbourhood community.

Juxtaposing the textual analysis with the analysis of the interviews facilitates an evaluation of whether the communication strategies
of the organisations relate to the context of the socio-cultural practices of lowdecile
neighbourhoods.

year: 2009

title: Accelerating success and promoting equity through the ako (note 1): Critical contexts for change

authors: Berryman, Mere

abstract: Achieving equity and excellence for all young people remains the major challenge of education systems across the world. This paper contends that equity and excellence for students currently underserved by our system needs transformative school reform. In response, we outline the ako: critical contexts for change. This model has been applied across five dimensions for transformative reform within Kia Eke Panuku (Note 2). This paper focuses on how this model can be understood and applied alongside curriculum implementation. We draw evidence from wider research of the impact on improving student achievement when individual aspects of the ako: critical contexts for change have been applied. We have found that when all three contexts are applied simultaneously and spread throughout the school, pedagogical reform can be accelerated, even for those students most underserved.

text: Accelerating success and promoting equity through the ako (note 1): Critical contexts for change Achieving equity and excellence for all young people remains the major challenge of education systems across the world. This paper contends that equity and excellence for students currently underserved by our system needs transformative school reform. In response, we outline the ako: critical contexts for change. This model has been applied across five dimensions for transformative reform within Kia Eke Panuku (Note 2). This paper focuses on how this model can be understood and applied alongside curriculum implementation. We draw evidence from wider research of the impact on improving student achievement when individual aspects of the ako: critical contexts for change have been applied. We have found that when all three contexts are applied simultaneously and spread throughout the school, pedagogical reform can be accelerated, even for those students most underserved.

year: 2017