title: Sleep-hygiene education improves sleep indices in elite female athletes.

authors: O'Donnell, Shannon Lea

abstract: The importance of sleep in providing psychophysiological recovery in elite athletes is often overlooked. In other populations (eg shift workers and adolescent students), sleep hygiene education may serve to acutely improve sleep indices. However, this is yet to be examined in an elite athlete setting. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of a sleep hygiene education session on sleep indices in elite athletes. The study involved 26 elite female netball athletes performing one week of baseline sleep monitoring (PRE), followed by a sleep hygiene education session and a further week of sleep monitoring (POST) in a single group, pre- post design. The sleep hygiene education session focused on providing information on the importance of sleep for athletes and practical tips to improve sleep quality and quantity. Sleep monitoring was performed using wrist actigraphy to assess total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE%), total time in bed (TTB), sleep latency (SL), wake episodes per night (WE), sleep onset variance (SOV), wake variance (WV) wake episode duration (WED), sleep onset time (SOT), and wake time (WT). There was a significant improvement in TST (mean ± SD; 22.3 ± 39.9 minutes, p=0.01) PRE to POST sleep hygiene education session, the difference associated with a small effect (ES: 0.39). A significant improvement PRE to POST was found for WV (p=0.03), and for WED (p=0.03). There were no significant differences for SE%, SL, TTB, WE, SOV, SOT, WT. The current study reports that a sleep hygiene education session is effective in improving sleep quantity in elite female athletes in an acute setting.

text: Sleep-hygiene education improves sleep indices in elite female athletes. The importance of sleep in providing psychophysiological recovery in elite athletes is often overlooked. In other populations (eg shift workers and adolescent students), sleep hygiene education may serve to acutely improve sleep indices. However, this is yet to be examined in an elite athlete setting. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of a sleep hygiene education session on sleep indices in elite athletes. The study involved 26 elite female netball athletes performing one week of baseline sleep monitoring (PRE), followed by a sleep hygiene education session and a further week of sleep monitoring (POST) in a single group, pre- post design. The sleep hygiene education session focused on providing information on the importance of sleep for athletes and practical tips to improve sleep quality and quantity. Sleep monitoring was performed using wrist actigraphy to assess total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE%), total time in bed (TTB), sleep latency (SL), wake episodes per night (WE), sleep onset variance (SOV), wake variance (WV) wake episode duration (WED), sleep onset time (SOT), and wake time (WT). There was a significant improvement in TST (mean ± SD; 22.3 ± 39.9 minutes, p=0.01) PRE to POST sleep hygiene education session, the difference associated with a small effect (ES: 0.39). A significant improvement PRE to POST was found for WV (p=0.03), and for WED (p=0.03). There were no significant differences for SE%, SL, TTB, WE, SOV, SOT, WT. The current study reports that a sleep hygiene education session is effective in improving sleep quantity in elite female athletes in an acute setting.

year: 2017

title: Hegemonic Whiteness: An Autoethnographic Examination

authors: Chulainn Mabbett-Sowerby, Mabbett-Sowerby

abstract: Whiteness is a hegemonic force in New Zealand society. It is responsible for perpetuating racial discrimination against Māori and other ethnic minority groups. The core argument of this thesis, is that discussions concerning racial equity need to focus on hegemonic whiteness, as opposed to racial discrimination in order to make more visible where the responsibility for social change to achieve racial equality lies. In order to demonstrate the need for this specific emphasis this thesis highlights nuanced experiences of hegemonic whiteness through the use of autoethnography as a research methodology. An autoethnographic approach was used as a means of grounding the literature in lived experiences, and resisting the dominance of empirical research methodologies in educational settings. The literature reviewed was an in-depth investigation of texts concerning hegemony and  whiteness. Taking a story-telling approach, the literature concerning hegemony was examined so as to show some of Gramsci’s life and thought, before detailing the notion of hegemony itself. The literature on whiteness was drawn from critical and tribal race theory. Literature was also reviewed that demonstrated how the concept of whiteness exists embedded within New Zealand’s context as a result of colonisation. Whiteness as hegemony, was made clear through a discussion highlighting the way in which white norms and values are dominant within New Zealand society, and are thus hegemonic. In order to challenge the normalising influence of whiteness within power structures links to policy were made, to highlight the influence of hegemonic whiteness, within political institutions. Overall this thesis argues that it is imperative to foster a more equitable and inclusive society, which can only occur if hegemonic whiteness is acknowledged and addressed by the dominant group in society.

text: Hegemonic Whiteness: An Autoethnographic Examination Whiteness is a hegemonic force in New Zealand society. It is responsible for perpetuating racial discrimination against Māori and other ethnic minority groups. The core argument of this thesis, is that discussions concerning racial equity need to focus on hegemonic whiteness, as opposed to racial discrimination in order to make more visible where the responsibility for social change to achieve racial equality lies. In order to demonstrate the need for this specific emphasis this thesis highlights nuanced experiences of hegemonic whiteness through the use of autoethnography as a research methodology. An autoethnographic approach was used as a means of grounding the literature in lived experiences, and resisting the dominance of empirical research methodologies in educational settings. The literature reviewed was an in-depth investigation of texts concerning hegemony and  whiteness. Taking a story-telling approach, the literature concerning hegemony was examined so as to show some of Gramsci’s life and thought, before detailing the notion of hegemony itself. The literature on whiteness was drawn from critical and tribal race theory. Literature was also reviewed that demonstrated how the concept of whiteness exists embedded within New Zealand’s context as a result of colonisation. Whiteness as hegemony, was made clear through a discussion highlighting the way in which white norms and values are dominant within New Zealand society, and are thus hegemonic. In order to challenge the normalising influence of whiteness within power structures links to policy were made, to highlight the influence of hegemonic whiteness, within political institutions. Overall this thesis argues that it is imperative to foster a more equitable and inclusive society, which can only occur if hegemonic whiteness is acknowledged and addressed by the dominant group in society.

year: 2023

title: Reflections on relationship-building between tangata whenua and local government: Notes from research and practice

authors: Neill, Beth

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: In this paper, the author takes a reflective look at two areas: the preliminary discussions and fieldwork they undertook to set up a collaborative doctoral research project exploring relationship-building between
tangata whenua and local government (regional and district councils); and their
practice as a community psychologist within local government, advising on social
research and community participation in a number of environmental management
projects.

text: Reflections on relationship-building between tangata whenua and local government: Notes from research and practice In this paper, the author takes a reflective look at two areas: the preliminary discussions and fieldwork they undertook to set up a collaborative doctoral research project exploring relationship-building between
tangata whenua and local government (regional and district councils); and their
practice as a community psychologist within local government, advising on social
research and community participation in a number of environmental management
projects.

year: 2003-06