title: Fighting the odds to make it even: Mapping an affordance ecosystem in a kindergarten community

authors: Clarkin-Phillips, Jeanette

subjects: early childhood education

abstract: This thesis is a case study of a kindergarten in one of the most deprived areas of Aotearoa New Zealand. Through the documentation of the stories of management, teachers and families, the thesis explores how the transformation of the kindergarten and a policy intervention have provided multiple opportunities and affordances for adults to realise their aspirations. Bourdieu’s logic of practice thinking tools and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory are intertwined to theorise about the contribution of macrosystem ideologies that position communities as vulnerable and frame up subsequent exosystem policy attempts to intervene. 

The concept of habitus is applied to explain how a commitment to social justice and an empowerment view of individuals and communities can afford conditions for the transformation of habitus. The thesis argues that the level of strength of an affordance is significant in the recognition and utilisation of opportunities and that early childhood teachers can be mesosystem agents in mediating affordances. Inherent in the thesis is the acknowledgment that early childhood services have the potential to contribute to positive life trajectories for adults as well as children, particularly for those in communities who have the odds stacked against them.

The thesis adds to the scholarship about habitus and its transforming features and contributes to a deeper understanding about the role of effective early years services as powerful intervention sites for adults. The unique combination of Bourdieu and Bronfenbrenner’s theories offers new insights about the individual/environment relationship and impacts on agency. The thesis outlines a range of policy implications for consideration with respect to communities who are poorly provided for due to dominant ideological discourses and reiterates the right of all individuals to realise their hopes and dreams.

text: Fighting the odds to make it even: Mapping an affordance ecosystem in a kindergarten community This thesis is a case study of a kindergarten in one of the most deprived areas of Aotearoa New Zealand. Through the documentation of the stories of management, teachers and families, the thesis explores how the transformation of the kindergarten and a policy intervention have provided multiple opportunities and affordances for adults to realise their aspirations. Bourdieu’s logic of practice thinking tools and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory are intertwined to theorise about the contribution of macrosystem ideologies that position communities as vulnerable and frame up subsequent exosystem policy attempts to intervene. 

The concept of habitus is applied to explain how a commitment to social justice and an empowerment view of individuals and communities can afford conditions for the transformation of habitus. The thesis argues that the level of strength of an affordance is significant in the recognition and utilisation of opportunities and that early childhood teachers can be mesosystem agents in mediating affordances. Inherent in the thesis is the acknowledgment that early childhood services have the potential to contribute to positive life trajectories for adults as well as children, particularly for those in communities who have the odds stacked against them.

The thesis adds to the scholarship about habitus and its transforming features and contributes to a deeper understanding about the role of effective early years services as powerful intervention sites for adults. The unique combination of Bourdieu and Bronfenbrenner’s theories offers new insights about the individual/environment relationship and impacts on agency. The thesis outlines a range of policy implications for consideration with respect to communities who are poorly provided for due to dominant ideological discourses and reiterates the right of all individuals to realise their hopes and dreams.

year: 2016

title: British Music Video, 1966-2016: Genre, Authenticity and Art

authors: Perrott, Lisa

subjects: Arts & Humanities

abstract: A book review on "Jamie Bennett and Victoria Knight, Prisoners on Prison Films (2021)"

text: British Music Video, 1966-2016: Genre, Authenticity and Art A book review on "Jamie Bennett and Victoria Knight, Prisoners on Prison Films (2021)"

year: 2021-10-01

title: Grounding the state of exception in New Zealand: A case study of racial segregation in Pukekohe, Whiteness and the Carceral State

authors: Martin, Jessica

subjects: State of exception

abstract: Indigenous scholars in settler-colonial contexts have highlighted the hyper-imprisonment of Indigenous people, locating it as an extension of the colonial project. Although research on this issue in New Zealand is emerging, there is a notable gap in understanding how the carceral state has developed within this particular context. This study aims to address the following research question: How does the historical context of racial segregation in Pukekohe contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of the carceral state in New Zealand?
To thoroughly examine the hyper-imprisonment of Māori, it is essential to unpack the historical origins of state violence. Despite existing research establishing a link between Māori over-representation in prisons and the enduring effects of colonisation, there is a lack of studies exploring the complex interplay among the carceral state, whiteness, policy, policing, and law, which collectively shape the current landscape of incarceration. This study focuses on the racial segregation in Pukekohe between 1920 and 1960 and utilises reflexive thematic analysis within a case study framework, drawing on the insights offered by Robert Bartholomew's book, No Māori Allowed (2020). The analysis centres on the theoretical concept of the state of exception, shedding light on how power was wielded by the white racial polity. Thus, providing a unique perspective on the carceral state and state-sanctioned violence.
The findings highlight the interconnectedness of various systemic control mechanisms employed by the carceral state. Housing, policing, and whiteness emerge as crucial factors in the control and confinement of Māori in Pukekohe. By emphasising the role of whiteness in suppressing this history, this study underscores the need for critical examination and recognition of white cultural imperialism as a fundamental pillar of the carceral state. Overall, this research offers significant insights into the construction of a targeted population and the enduring consequences of state-sanctioned violence, emphasising the importance of a comprehensive examination of New Zealand's racialised history in discussions on the hyper-imprisonment of Māori.

text: Grounding the state of exception in New Zealand: A case study of racial segregation in Pukekohe, Whiteness and the Carceral State Indigenous scholars in settler-colonial contexts have highlighted the hyper-imprisonment of Indigenous people, locating it as an extension of the colonial project. Although research on this issue in New Zealand is emerging, there is a notable gap in understanding how the carceral state has developed within this particular context. This study aims to address the following research question: How does the historical context of racial segregation in Pukekohe contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of the carceral state in New Zealand?
To thoroughly examine the hyper-imprisonment of Māori, it is essential to unpack the historical origins of state violence. Despite existing research establishing a link between Māori over-representation in prisons and the enduring effects of colonisation, there is a lack of studies exploring the complex interplay among the carceral state, whiteness, policy, policing, and law, which collectively shape the current landscape of incarceration. This study focuses on the racial segregation in Pukekohe between 1920 and 1960 and utilises reflexive thematic analysis within a case study framework, drawing on the insights offered by Robert Bartholomew's book, No Māori Allowed (2020). The analysis centres on the theoretical concept of the state of exception, shedding light on how power was wielded by the white racial polity. Thus, providing a unique perspective on the carceral state and state-sanctioned violence.
The findings highlight the interconnectedness of various systemic control mechanisms employed by the carceral state. Housing, policing, and whiteness emerge as crucial factors in the control and confinement of Māori in Pukekohe. By emphasising the role of whiteness in suppressing this history, this study underscores the need for critical examination and recognition of white cultural imperialism as a fundamental pillar of the carceral state. Overall, this research offers significant insights into the construction of a targeted population and the enduring consequences of state-sanctioned violence, emphasising the importance of a comprehensive examination of New Zealand's racialised history in discussions on the hyper-imprisonment of Māori.

year: 2024