title: ‘You’re never too old’: beliefs about physical activity and playing sport in later life

authors: Grant, Bevan C.

subjects: physical activity

abstract: It was evident from interviews with 15 men and women over 70 years of age that the experiences derived from being physically active and playing sport in later life are expansive, dynamic and completely imbued with multiple interpretations. Furthermore, their beliefs support the notion that the physically active body should be considered more than a physical object, as it represents a conscious, feeling, thinking and reflective self. The findings signify much is to be gained by regularly partaking in deliberate physical activity during later life although this is not always as easy as it sounds. At a personal level, changes in functional capacity and dealing with the sometimes ailing body can serve as a deterrent. From a broader perspective, the stigma associated with being older also poses a significant physical, sociological and psychological challenge, particularly during the initial phases. In conclusion, the study discusses why change must occur at a personal and societal level before a greater proportion of the older population become more physically active.

text: ‘You’re never too old’: beliefs about physical activity and playing sport in later life It was evident from interviews with 15 men and women over 70 years of age that the experiences derived from being physically active and playing sport in later life are expansive, dynamic and completely imbued with multiple interpretations. Furthermore, their beliefs support the notion that the physically active body should be considered more than a physical object, as it represents a conscious, feeling, thinking and reflective self. The findings signify much is to be gained by regularly partaking in deliberate physical activity during later life although this is not always as easy as it sounds. At a personal level, changes in functional capacity and dealing with the sometimes ailing body can serve as a deterrent. From a broader perspective, the stigma associated with being older also poses a significant physical, sociological and psychological challenge, particularly during the initial phases. In conclusion, the study discusses why change must occur at a personal and societal level before a greater proportion of the older population become more physically active.

year: 2001

title: Those who heard it first: The political implications of the sermon on the mount to Jesus’ Jewish audience

authors: Roger Ewald, Lang Jr

subjects: Sermon on Mount

abstract: This dissertation examines the Sermon on the Mount (in the Gospel of Matthew) from the perspective of politics and peace. It investigates not what Jesus meant, but what his audience heard and were likely to have understood. It does this in order to ascertain the novelty or otherwise of Jesus’ teachings on peace with regard to Jewish thought and political understandings of his time. His audience was primarily Jewish, and the political implications they drew from Jesus’ teachings would have been influenced by established Jewish thought on ethics and governance. This dissertation researches specifically this: how would Jesus’ Jewish listeners have interpreted the peace sayings of the Sermon on the Mount? This dissertation finds that the Jewish intellectual framework within which Jesus’ first audience heard the Sermon on the Mount contained many specific sayings found in Pirkei Avot, and also a history of practice of non-violent action found in Jewish tradition, and that the oral law and the Sermon on the Mount both reflect Jewish ethical ideologies of non-violent resistance.

This dissertation argues that, in the Sermon on the Mount, a very Jewish Jesus – a man true to the religio-political views of his day – reaffirms a Jewish ethical form of non-violent resistance. The most important evidence available is the Gospel of Matthew itself, Jewish ethical writings such as Pirkei Avot, other Mishna writings, and writings on the lex talionis. The evidence points to an audience that would have perceived Jesus as teaching non-violence in a context of resistance rather than completely passive submission. The overall finding of this dissertation will be that the writer of Matthew depicts a Jesus who, in style, form, and content, builds on a Jewish ethical foundation to promote non-violent assertion of equality and human dignity in the widely known and oft-cited Sermon on the Mount.

text: Those who heard it first: The political implications of the sermon on the mount to Jesus’ Jewish audience This dissertation examines the Sermon on the Mount (in the Gospel of Matthew) from the perspective of politics and peace. It investigates not what Jesus meant, but what his audience heard and were likely to have understood. It does this in order to ascertain the novelty or otherwise of Jesus’ teachings on peace with regard to Jewish thought and political understandings of his time. His audience was primarily Jewish, and the political implications they drew from Jesus’ teachings would have been influenced by established Jewish thought on ethics and governance. This dissertation researches specifically this: how would Jesus’ Jewish listeners have interpreted the peace sayings of the Sermon on the Mount? This dissertation finds that the Jewish intellectual framework within which Jesus’ first audience heard the Sermon on the Mount contained many specific sayings found in Pirkei Avot, and also a history of practice of non-violent action found in Jewish tradition, and that the oral law and the Sermon on the Mount both reflect Jewish ethical ideologies of non-violent resistance.

This dissertation argues that, in the Sermon on the Mount, a very Jewish Jesus – a man true to the religio-political views of his day – reaffirms a Jewish ethical form of non-violent resistance. The most important evidence available is the Gospel of Matthew itself, Jewish ethical writings such as Pirkei Avot, other Mishna writings, and writings on the lex talionis. The evidence points to an audience that would have perceived Jesus as teaching non-violence in a context of resistance rather than completely passive submission. The overall finding of this dissertation will be that the writer of Matthew depicts a Jesus who, in style, form, and content, builds on a Jewish ethical foundation to promote non-violent assertion of equality and human dignity in the widely known and oft-cited Sermon on the Mount.

year: 2013

title: Green or grey pandemic recovery? Revealing the blue–green infrastructure influences in Aotearoa-New Zealand’s “Shovel Ready” Covid-19 response

authors: Hanna, Christina Jane

abstract: This paper analyses Aotearoa-New Zealand’s “shovel-ready fund” to assess if, and how, blue–green infrastructure systems were present in bids from its largest city regions. Findings indicate a greater prevalence in areas with existing spatial plans, and while there was some consideration of climate resilience, there was no real acknowledgement of the pandemic or human health. More positively, there was some evidence of unique indigenous influences that have potential to develop more inclusive and holistic blue–green infrastructure initiatives. The overall response, however, demonstrates a disjointed approach to blue–green infrastructure-related projects, and a missed opportunity for a more transformative response to the climate crisis and human health emergencies.

text: Green or grey pandemic recovery? Revealing the blue–green infrastructure influences in Aotearoa-New Zealand’s “Shovel Ready” Covid-19 response This paper analyses Aotearoa-New Zealand’s “shovel-ready fund” to assess if, and how, blue–green infrastructure systems were present in bids from its largest city regions. Findings indicate a greater prevalence in areas with existing spatial plans, and while there was some consideration of climate resilience, there was no real acknowledgement of the pandemic or human health. More positively, there was some evidence of unique indigenous influences that have potential to develop more inclusive and holistic blue–green infrastructure initiatives. The overall response, however, demonstrates a disjointed approach to blue–green infrastructure-related projects, and a missed opportunity for a more transformative response to the climate crisis and human health emergencies.

year: 2022