title: Material Synthesis: Negotiating experience with digital media

authors: McLaren, Sasha

subjects: creative practice research

abstract: Given the accessibility of media devices available to us today and utilising van Leeuwen's concept of inscription and synthesis as a guide, this thesis explores the practice of re-presenting a domestic material object, the Croxley Recipe Book, into digital media. Driven by a creative practice research method, but also utilising materiality, digital storytelling practices and modality as important conceptual frames, this project was fundamentally experimental in nature. A materiality-framed content analysis, interpreted through cultural analysis, initially unraveled some of the cookbook's significance and contextualised it within a particular time of New Zealand's cultural history. Through the expressive and anecdotal practice of digital storytelling the cookbook's significance was further negotiated, especially as the material book was engaged with through the affective and experiential digital medium of moving-image. A total of six digital film works were created on an accompanying DVD, each of which represents some of the cookbook's significance but approached through different representational strategies. The Croxley Recipe Book Archive Film and Pav. Bakin' with Mark are archival documentaries, while Pav is more expressive and aligned with the digital storytelling form. Spinning Yarns and Tall Tales, a film essay, engages and reflects with the multiple processes and trajectories of the project, while Extras and The Creative Process Journal demonstrate the emergent nature of the research. The written thesis discusses the emergent nature of the research process and justifies the conceptual underpinning of the research.

text: Material Synthesis: Negotiating experience with digital media Given the accessibility of media devices available to us today and utilising van Leeuwen's concept of inscription and synthesis as a guide, this thesis explores the practice of re-presenting a domestic material object, the Croxley Recipe Book, into digital media. Driven by a creative practice research method, but also utilising materiality, digital storytelling practices and modality as important conceptual frames, this project was fundamentally experimental in nature. A materiality-framed content analysis, interpreted through cultural analysis, initially unraveled some of the cookbook's significance and contextualised it within a particular time of New Zealand's cultural history. Through the expressive and anecdotal practice of digital storytelling the cookbook's significance was further negotiated, especially as the material book was engaged with through the affective and experiential digital medium of moving-image. A total of six digital film works were created on an accompanying DVD, each of which represents some of the cookbook's significance but approached through different representational strategies. The Croxley Recipe Book Archive Film and Pav. Bakin' with Mark are archival documentaries, while Pav is more expressive and aligned with the digital storytelling form. Spinning Yarns and Tall Tales, a film essay, engages and reflects with the multiple processes and trajectories of the project, while Extras and The Creative Process Journal demonstrate the emergent nature of the research. The written thesis discusses the emergent nature of the research process and justifies the conceptual underpinning of the research.

year: 2008

title: Systematics of New Zealand Pimelea (Thymelaeaceae)

authors: Squire, Talissa Suellen

subjects: Pimelea

abstract: Pimelea Banks and Sol. ex Gaertn. is a genus of shrubs, sub-shrubs and herbs belonging to the eudicot family Thymelaeaceae. First described 1769, the genus initially contained four species but has since grown to contain 126 species which are distributed around Australia, New Zealand and Lord Howe Island. New Zealand has 35 endemic Pimelea species, and numerous subspecies bringing the total to 51 taxa which are distributed across the North and South Islands, as well as offshore.
The most recent revision of the genus Pimelea was conducted by Colin Burrows throughout a series of five papers published from 2008 to 2011. Burrows (2011), as well as Motsi (2010), theorized that New Zealand’s Pimelea initially originated from Australia. Motsi (2010) went on to hypothesise that these species were monophyletic and that the diversity present occurred via speciation and radiation. The conclusions drawn by these two papers, however, have their limitations. Burrows (2011) based his solely on the morphology of species across New Zealand Pimelea, while Motsi (2010) only studied the molecular sequences of four New Zealand Pimelea species. Burrows, throughout a number of his papers, also studied the molecular systematics of Pimelea and attempted to organize its taxonomy but similarly only based his findings on morphological traits.
This project has four key aims, the first is to assemble and review the literature currently available about Pimelea and in particular, the New Zealand Pimelea. Due to the absence of previous research which considers both morphology and molecular phylogenetics of Pimelea, this project will include all New Zealand Pimelea taxa and will use both morphological traits and molecular analysis of the DNA sequence variation off the nuclear ribosomal inter transcriber spacer regions (ITS). Using these, this research intends to 1) test the classification of the genus sensu Burrows, 2) infer biogeographic relationships between Pimelea species within New Zealand and 3) infer the number of colonization events of Pimelea in New Zealand and hence test its monophyly.

text: Systematics of New Zealand Pimelea (Thymelaeaceae) Pimelea Banks and Sol. ex Gaertn. is a genus of shrubs, sub-shrubs and herbs belonging to the eudicot family Thymelaeaceae. First described 1769, the genus initially contained four species but has since grown to contain 126 species which are distributed around Australia, New Zealand and Lord Howe Island. New Zealand has 35 endemic Pimelea species, and numerous subspecies bringing the total to 51 taxa which are distributed across the North and South Islands, as well as offshore.
The most recent revision of the genus Pimelea was conducted by Colin Burrows throughout a series of five papers published from 2008 to 2011. Burrows (2011), as well as Motsi (2010), theorized that New Zealand’s Pimelea initially originated from Australia. Motsi (2010) went on to hypothesise that these species were monophyletic and that the diversity present occurred via speciation and radiation. The conclusions drawn by these two papers, however, have their limitations. Burrows (2011) based his solely on the morphology of species across New Zealand Pimelea, while Motsi (2010) only studied the molecular sequences of four New Zealand Pimelea species. Burrows, throughout a number of his papers, also studied the molecular systematics of Pimelea and attempted to organize its taxonomy but similarly only based his findings on morphological traits.
This project has four key aims, the first is to assemble and review the literature currently available about Pimelea and in particular, the New Zealand Pimelea. Due to the absence of previous research which considers both morphology and molecular phylogenetics of Pimelea, this project will include all New Zealand Pimelea taxa and will use both morphological traits and molecular analysis of the DNA sequence variation off the nuclear ribosomal inter transcriber spacer regions (ITS). Using these, this research intends to 1) test the classification of the genus sensu Burrows, 2) infer biogeographic relationships between Pimelea species within New Zealand and 3) infer the number of colonization events of Pimelea in New Zealand and hence test its monophyly.

year: 2016

title: Research note: Empirical analysis of ethnic pay gaps in New Zealand

authors: Cochrane, William

abstract: This research note explores the factors contributing to ethnic pay gaps in New Zealand. The emphasis here is on description, as a causal analysis is beyond the capability of the methods used. The gaps between the average (as well as median) hourly wages for the European workforce relative to Māori and Pacific workers are substantial. A statistical analysis by Treasury in 2018 also showed that the ratio in average hourly wages (based on published survey estimates by Stats NZ) for both ethnic groups relative to European had stayed at a similar level for the last decade; as they state “there has been movement from year to year but no consistent upward or downward trend” (Treasury, 2018, p.1).

text: Research note: Empirical analysis of ethnic pay gaps in New Zealand This research note explores the factors contributing to ethnic pay gaps in New Zealand. The emphasis here is on description, as a causal analysis is beyond the capability of the methods used. The gaps between the average (as well as median) hourly wages for the European workforce relative to Māori and Pacific workers are substantial. A statistical analysis by Treasury in 2018 also showed that the ratio in average hourly wages (based on published survey estimates by Stats NZ) for both ethnic groups relative to European had stayed at a similar level for the last decade; as they state “there has been movement from year to year but no consistent upward or downward trend” (Treasury, 2018, p.1).

year: 2023-10-19