title: Embodied ways of knowing: women’s solo contemporary dance in Aotearoa, New Zealand

authors: Barbour, Karen

abstract: Feminists have offered critiques of dominant dualist Western ‘knowledge’ and epistemology, arguing that such knowledge is oppressive to women. Acceptance of reasoning as the only way to ‘knowledge’, ‘somatophobic’ privileging of mind and exclusion of body, and the stereotypical and oppressive construction of women/femininity are particularly problematic aspects for feminists. Consequently, feminists have deconstructed Western ‘knowledge’ and developed multiple, alternative ‘knowledges’. Feminist research is able to offer alternative ways of knowing, understandings of embodiment and recreations of femininity. Developing the work of feminists Mary Belenky et al. (1986), Iris Young (1989, 1998) and Maxine Sheets-Johnstone (1999), I offer an alternative epistemological strategy – an embodied way of knowing.

Alternative ways of knowing that may contribute to new knowledges arise in the lived experiences of individual women, within specific contexts and communities. This feminist research project explores individual women’s lived experiences, particularly focussing on embodied ways of knowing, and recreation of femininity, within the context of solo contemporary dance.
Much feminist research in contemporary dance has focussed on deconstructing dance and dancing bodies as ‘texts’, rather than investigating the dance maker’s lived experience. Therefore, my feminist research offers an alternative perspective on women’s solo contemporary dance.

My feminist and phenomenological perspective provides a methodology for investigating the lived experiences of individual women, using the specific methods of dance making, creative journalling and interviewing. In this research I undertook solo dance making myself, reflecting on my lived experiences and embodied ways of knowing through creative journalling. I also interviewed five women contemporary dancers about their solo dance work, and discussed the influence of feminism and stereotypical femininity on their dance making. We found that solo dance making was an opportunity for recreating femininity, and we developed understandings of our dance making as embodied ways of knowing. I represent and discuss my findings through a personal experience narrative and interactive CD-Rom of my solo dance, and a group narrative about our solo dance making. 
My research thus offers an understanding of women’s solo contemporary dance making as an embodied way of knowing - an alternative feminist epistemological strategy.

text: Embodied ways of knowing: women’s solo contemporary dance in Aotearoa, New Zealand Feminists have offered critiques of dominant dualist Western ‘knowledge’ and epistemology, arguing that such knowledge is oppressive to women. Acceptance of reasoning as the only way to ‘knowledge’, ‘somatophobic’ privileging of mind and exclusion of body, and the stereotypical and oppressive construction of women/femininity are particularly problematic aspects for feminists. Consequently, feminists have deconstructed Western ‘knowledge’ and developed multiple, alternative ‘knowledges’. Feminist research is able to offer alternative ways of knowing, understandings of embodiment and recreations of femininity. Developing the work of feminists Mary Belenky et al. (1986), Iris Young (1989, 1998) and Maxine Sheets-Johnstone (1999), I offer an alternative epistemological strategy – an embodied way of knowing.

Alternative ways of knowing that may contribute to new knowledges arise in the lived experiences of individual women, within specific contexts and communities. This feminist research project explores individual women’s lived experiences, particularly focussing on embodied ways of knowing, and recreation of femininity, within the context of solo contemporary dance.
Much feminist research in contemporary dance has focussed on deconstructing dance and dancing bodies as ‘texts’, rather than investigating the dance maker’s lived experience. Therefore, my feminist research offers an alternative perspective on women’s solo contemporary dance.

My feminist and phenomenological perspective provides a methodology for investigating the lived experiences of individual women, using the specific methods of dance making, creative journalling and interviewing. In this research I undertook solo dance making myself, reflecting on my lived experiences and embodied ways of knowing through creative journalling. I also interviewed five women contemporary dancers about their solo dance work, and discussed the influence of feminism and stereotypical femininity on their dance making. We found that solo dance making was an opportunity for recreating femininity, and we developed understandings of our dance making as embodied ways of knowing. I represent and discuss my findings through a personal experience narrative and interactive CD-Rom of my solo dance, and a group narrative about our solo dance making. 
My research thus offers an understanding of women’s solo contemporary dance making as an embodied way of knowing - an alternative feminist epistemological strategy.

year: 2002

title: The Gap: women’s and men’s perspectives on parenting in the context of domestic violence

authors: Troon, Claire Lauren

subjects: domestic violence

abstract: Domestic violence is a significant issue within New Zealand society. The purpose of this research was to explore parenting within the context of domestic violence, through men’s perspectives, as perpetrators of domestic violence, and women’s perspectives, as victims of domestic violence. The participants were recruited through their association with the Hamilton Abuse Intervention Project (HAIP), a coordinated community response to violence. The study aimed to gain understanding of the impact of violence on children, women, mothering and the batterer as parent; provide reflection on the men’s stopping violence programme at HAIP in relation to abusive men’s parenting; and examine the role of children in abusive men’s motivation to change. Nine semi-structured interviews with men attending HAIP’s stopping violence programmes were conducted, and two focus groups were held with ten women associated with HAIP. The key findings suggest that domestic violence has significant detrimental outcomes for children and women and significantly constrains women’s ability to be an effective mother. The men were found to use negative parenting practices but to have limited understanding of the impact of their behaviour on either mother or child.  The women reported various ways in which they were able to work around the abuser to protect their children and to be effective as a mother, at least some of the time. Although women generally supported the continuing involvement of the fathers in the lives of their children, such involvement often served to disrupt the process of healing from the violence for both children and women. This study provides recommendations for policy and practice with regard to fathering interventions for abusive men.

text: The Gap: women’s and men’s perspectives on parenting in the context of domestic violence Domestic violence is a significant issue within New Zealand society. The purpose of this research was to explore parenting within the context of domestic violence, through men’s perspectives, as perpetrators of domestic violence, and women’s perspectives, as victims of domestic violence. The participants were recruited through their association with the Hamilton Abuse Intervention Project (HAIP), a coordinated community response to violence. The study aimed to gain understanding of the impact of violence on children, women, mothering and the batterer as parent; provide reflection on the men’s stopping violence programme at HAIP in relation to abusive men’s parenting; and examine the role of children in abusive men’s motivation to change. Nine semi-structured interviews with men attending HAIP’s stopping violence programmes were conducted, and two focus groups were held with ten women associated with HAIP. The key findings suggest that domestic violence has significant detrimental outcomes for children and women and significantly constrains women’s ability to be an effective mother. The men were found to use negative parenting practices but to have limited understanding of the impact of their behaviour on either mother or child.  The women reported various ways in which they were able to work around the abuser to protect their children and to be effective as a mother, at least some of the time. Although women generally supported the continuing involvement of the fathers in the lives of their children, such involvement often served to disrupt the process of healing from the violence for both children and women. This study provides recommendations for policy and practice with regard to fathering interventions for abusive men.

year: 2014

title: Mana Wahine reworking the power to name taonga

authors: Ringham, Sandra Lee

abstract: The capacity of Indigenous peoples to officially name taonga species (flora and fauna) within taxonomy signifies resilience and a reworking of western scientific processes and institutions. This article explores the ways in which Ngāti Kuri women contribute to environmental justice through the naming of taonga species. Ngāti Kuri were the first tribe in the world to install a tribal name into the co-authorship of a nomenclature. The article explores the ways in which Ngāti Kuri women, both past and present, rework environmental relationships and knowledge in both tribal and non-tribal spaces in Aotearoa's most northern region.

text: Mana Wahine reworking the power to name taonga The capacity of Indigenous peoples to officially name taonga species (flora and fauna) within taxonomy signifies resilience and a reworking of western scientific processes and institutions. This article explores the ways in which Ngāti Kuri women contribute to environmental justice through the naming of taonga species. Ngāti Kuri were the first tribe in the world to install a tribal name into the co-authorship of a nomenclature. The article explores the ways in which Ngāti Kuri women, both past and present, rework environmental relationships and knowledge in both tribal and non-tribal spaces in Aotearoa's most northern region.

year: 2023-01-01