title: Do productivity and disturbance interact to modulate macroinvertebrate diversity in streams?

authors: Tonkin, Jonathan D.

subjects: Dynamic equilibrium mode

abstract: Although disturbance and productivity are clearly strong influences on lotic diversity, rarely have their interactive effects been studied in running water systems. We hypothesised that the presence or absence of canopy cover in streams would alter productivity-disturbance-diversity relationships due to differential effects on the food base, and tested this hypothesis in 47 mountain streams in the central North Island of New Zealand. Canopy cover had no influence on algal biomass in these streams, but a link between disturbance and productivity was found in open canopy streams where taxonomic richness of invertebrates increased log-linearly with increasing algal biomass and peaked at intermediate levels of disturbance. Community evenness declined with disturbance, but only at closed canopy sites where both invertebrate taxonomic richness and Simpson's diversity index were higher. Although there was a peak in richness at intermediate rates of disturbance, our results do not directly match predictions of the dynamic equilibrium model which predicts that the level of disturbance maximising diversity interacts with habitat productivity. Rather, we suggest the combined effects of productivity and disturbance are additive rather than multiplicative such that productivity simply sets the upper limit to richness in streams.

text: Do productivity and disturbance interact to modulate macroinvertebrate diversity in streams? Although disturbance and productivity are clearly strong influences on lotic diversity, rarely have their interactive effects been studied in running water systems. We hypothesised that the presence or absence of canopy cover in streams would alter productivity-disturbance-diversity relationships due to differential effects on the food base, and tested this hypothesis in 47 mountain streams in the central North Island of New Zealand. Canopy cover had no influence on algal biomass in these streams, but a link between disturbance and productivity was found in open canopy streams where taxonomic richness of invertebrates increased log-linearly with increasing algal biomass and peaked at intermediate levels of disturbance. Community evenness declined with disturbance, but only at closed canopy sites where both invertebrate taxonomic richness and Simpson's diversity index were higher. Although there was a peak in richness at intermediate rates of disturbance, our results do not directly match predictions of the dynamic equilibrium model which predicts that the level of disturbance maximising diversity interacts with habitat productivity. Rather, we suggest the combined effects of productivity and disturbance are additive rather than multiplicative such that productivity simply sets the upper limit to richness in streams.

year: 2013

title: Trust and gender in patient-practitioner relationships

authors: FitzPatrick, Mary

abstract: This research investigates the phenomenon of patient trust in primary health care providers. Using the qualitative methodology of Memory Work, this research draws largely on social constructionism to understand gendered 'lived' experiences of trust within the patient-practitioner relationship. The central question of this research, then, was: How do male and female patients describe and perceive their experience, both positive and negative, of trust in primary health care practitioners (PHCPs)? Following the Memory Work method, two groups of participants, one comprising four men, the other five women, independently wrote detailed narratives of their lived experiences of trust. These experiences were evoked by agreed 'trigger' topics that each group felt explored and represented trust within the patient-practitioner relationship. The participants then came together as a group to discuss and analyse the individual narratives for the 'common' sense or the social aspects of the experiences common to the group, and the processes used to make sense of them. Both the women's research group and the men's research group met for five sessions, each session lasting at least three hours. Between them the research participants wrote 43 individual narratives (two absences) and generated more than 30 hours of recorded group work. From their written descriptions and verbal discussions of their individual narratives, this research describes and explains the trust that these participants experienced, and explores the meaning that these men and women themselves ascribe to trust in various health care service contexts. Specifically, Memory Work facilitated the participants' own understanding of how their individual experiences of trust have been constructed by the self, and the social processes of gender on self. 
This research worked at two levels of analysis and interpretation (textual and crosssectional), examining the experiences both within and between the men and women in the study. A number of common themes were found to be critical to patient trust for these women and men showing important gender differences in how trust is lived and understood within the patient-practitioner relationship. The themes that the women use to make sense of their trust in PHCPs are: Vulnerability, Knowledge, Affirmation, Voice, Clinical Skills, Responsiveness, Professional Confidence, Thoroughness, Acceptance, Personal Connection, Honesty, Empathy, Reciprocity, Safety, and Empowerment. Collectively the men develop the following themes: Risk, Evidence, Autonomy, Personal Connection, Clinical Skills, Professionalism, Empathy, Friendliness, 'Reading' Skills, Honesty, Reciprocity, and Alliance. Finally, the discussion elaborates the participants' theorising by connecting it to existing marketing literature. The research finds that there are both profound relational and social dimensions to trust in this service context. Trust is understood as a relational phenomenon through the heuristic device of the 'She' /'He', 'Other', and 'They'. 
This research extends the relationship marketing literature by developing a deep understanding of the phenomenon of trust from the patients' perspective, and the interconnections between this trust and gender as it is lived in health care service contexts. These insights provide a sound base for implementing improvements to current health care practice that are valued by the patient, and therefore have immediate practical relevance for health care practitioners, health care policy makers, and patients. This research also contributes academically by establishing a new way of analysing and interpreting relational phenomena such as trust.

text: Trust and gender in patient-practitioner relationships This research investigates the phenomenon of patient trust in primary health care providers. Using the qualitative methodology of Memory Work, this research draws largely on social constructionism to understand gendered 'lived' experiences of trust within the patient-practitioner relationship. The central question of this research, then, was: How do male and female patients describe and perceive their experience, both positive and negative, of trust in primary health care practitioners (PHCPs)? Following the Memory Work method, two groups of participants, one comprising four men, the other five women, independently wrote detailed narratives of their lived experiences of trust. These experiences were evoked by agreed 'trigger' topics that each group felt explored and represented trust within the patient-practitioner relationship. The participants then came together as a group to discuss and analyse the individual narratives for the 'common' sense or the social aspects of the experiences common to the group, and the processes used to make sense of them. Both the women's research group and the men's research group met for five sessions, each session lasting at least three hours. Between them the research participants wrote 43 individual narratives (two absences) and generated more than 30 hours of recorded group work. From their written descriptions and verbal discussions of their individual narratives, this research describes and explains the trust that these participants experienced, and explores the meaning that these men and women themselves ascribe to trust in various health care service contexts. Specifically, Memory Work facilitated the participants' own understanding of how their individual experiences of trust have been constructed by the self, and the social processes of gender on self. 
This research worked at two levels of analysis and interpretation (textual and crosssectional), examining the experiences both within and between the men and women in the study. A number of common themes were found to be critical to patient trust for these women and men showing important gender differences in how trust is lived and understood within the patient-practitioner relationship. The themes that the women use to make sense of their trust in PHCPs are: Vulnerability, Knowledge, Affirmation, Voice, Clinical Skills, Responsiveness, Professional Confidence, Thoroughness, Acceptance, Personal Connection, Honesty, Empathy, Reciprocity, Safety, and Empowerment. Collectively the men develop the following themes: Risk, Evidence, Autonomy, Personal Connection, Clinical Skills, Professionalism, Empathy, Friendliness, 'Reading' Skills, Honesty, Reciprocity, and Alliance. Finally, the discussion elaborates the participants' theorising by connecting it to existing marketing literature. The research finds that there are both profound relational and social dimensions to trust in this service context. Trust is understood as a relational phenomenon through the heuristic device of the 'She' /'He', 'Other', and 'They'. 
This research extends the relationship marketing literature by developing a deep understanding of the phenomenon of trust from the patients' perspective, and the interconnections between this trust and gender as it is lived in health care service contexts. These insights provide a sound base for implementing improvements to current health care practice that are valued by the patient, and therefore have immediate practical relevance for health care practitioners, health care policy makers, and patients. This research also contributes academically by establishing a new way of analysing and interpreting relational phenomena such as trust.

year: 2004

title: Whangai: remembering, understanding and experiencing

authors: McRae, Karyn Okeroa

subjects: adoption

abstract: The Māori customary practice of whangai is often equated with adoption or foster care.
There are, however, significant differences between the institutions. Adoption or foster care, tends to be mainly focused on the interests of the child. The institution of whangai, while being cognizant of the interests of the child, is weighted more towards establishing, nurturing and cementing relationships between individuals, families and broader relational networks. In this paper we draw on the lived experiences of six people who have been raised as whangai and/or have raised whangai. We were interested in their understanding of the cultural concept of whangai, how the customary practice of whangai has changed over time, and their projected thoughts on future generations’ experience of whangai. Findings suggest that the institution of whangai remains as a strong vehicle for both the care of children and for the nurturing of whangai kinship relationships. While participants recognised that contemporary Māori social environments have contributed toward multiple manifestations of whangai, most felt it to be an institution that will be valued and carried into the future.

text: Whangai: remembering, understanding and experiencing The Māori customary practice of whangai is often equated with adoption or foster care.
There are, however, significant differences between the institutions. Adoption or foster care, tends to be mainly focused on the interests of the child. The institution of whangai, while being cognizant of the interests of the child, is weighted more towards establishing, nurturing and cementing relationships between individuals, families and broader relational networks. In this paper we draw on the lived experiences of six people who have been raised as whangai and/or have raised whangai. We were interested in their understanding of the cultural concept of whangai, how the customary practice of whangai has changed over time, and their projected thoughts on future generations’ experience of whangai. Findings suggest that the institution of whangai remains as a strong vehicle for both the care of children and for the nurturing of whangai kinship relationships. While participants recognised that contemporary Māori social environments have contributed toward multiple manifestations of whangai, most felt it to be an institution that will be valued and carried into the future.

year: 2006