title: Child poverty and mental health: A literature review (Commissioned for New Zealand Psychological Society and Child Poverty Action Group)

authors: Gibson, Kerry

abstract: Large numbers of children in New Zealand suffer from mental health problems, and large numbers of children suffer from poverty and hardship. This literature review provides information on the relationship between poverty experienced during childhood and the impact that poverty may have on the mental health of a child or young person, or later in their adulthood. It was found that:
• There is an accepted relationship between poverty experienced in childhood and a greater likelihood of mental health problems through the life span.
• Child poverty and its associated problems such as poor nutrition, inadequate housing, increased likelihood of adverse events and living in poor neighbourhoods put children at higher risk of having mental health problems.
• The evidence strongly suggests that the incidence of mental health conditions among children and adolescents can be reduced by addressing severe and persistent poverty, particularly during the early years of a child’s life.
• Intervention to address poverty and the effects of poverty on children is likely to prevent the perpetuation of inter-generational cycles of poverty and poor mental health.
• The prevalence of child poverty and mental health issues is likely to be higher for Māori and Pasifika than for other children and young people.
• While many Māori and Pasifika children are subject to inequities in material and socio-economic circumstances as well as institutional racism, they also experience the benefits of a rich cultural life and sense of belonging that is seldom accounted for in research reports that focus on deprivation.
The evidence strongly suggests that the incidence of mental health problems throughout the lifespan could be reduced through addressing the causes of child poverty and associated factors. Any mental health strategy for children should sit alongside a comprehensive programme to alleviate poverty.
Strategies aimed at addressing child poverty in Māori and Pasifika communities are more likely to be effective if these are well-resourced at an early stage and developed in a genuine partnership with local communities.

text: Child poverty and mental health: A literature review (Commissioned for New Zealand Psychological Society and Child Poverty Action Group) Large numbers of children in New Zealand suffer from mental health problems, and large numbers of children suffer from poverty and hardship. This literature review provides information on the relationship between poverty experienced during childhood and the impact that poverty may have on the mental health of a child or young person, or later in their adulthood. It was found that:
• There is an accepted relationship between poverty experienced in childhood and a greater likelihood of mental health problems through the life span.
• Child poverty and its associated problems such as poor nutrition, inadequate housing, increased likelihood of adverse events and living in poor neighbourhoods put children at higher risk of having mental health problems.
• The evidence strongly suggests that the incidence of mental health conditions among children and adolescents can be reduced by addressing severe and persistent poverty, particularly during the early years of a child’s life.
• Intervention to address poverty and the effects of poverty on children is likely to prevent the perpetuation of inter-generational cycles of poverty and poor mental health.
• The prevalence of child poverty and mental health issues is likely to be higher for Māori and Pasifika than for other children and young people.
• While many Māori and Pasifika children are subject to inequities in material and socio-economic circumstances as well as institutional racism, they also experience the benefits of a rich cultural life and sense of belonging that is seldom accounted for in research reports that focus on deprivation.
The evidence strongly suggests that the incidence of mental health problems throughout the lifespan could be reduced through addressing the causes of child poverty and associated factors. Any mental health strategy for children should sit alongside a comprehensive programme to alleviate poverty.
Strategies aimed at addressing child poverty in Māori and Pasifika communities are more likely to be effective if these are well-resourced at an early stage and developed in a genuine partnership with local communities.

year: 2017

title: Contextualising Māori writing: a study of prose fiction written in English by Witi Ihimaera, Patricia Grace, Keri Hulme and Alan Duff

authors: Calvert, Julia Helen

abstract: All prose fiction written in English by Māori is political on one level or another. The authors considered in this thesis, Witi Ihimaera, Patricia Grace, Keri Hulme and Alan Duff, choose to identify as Māori, but for each writer exactly what this entails implies something different. The diverse range of Māori characters represented in their work illustrates the heterogeneity of contemporary Māori identity. Whilst bearing in mind that there is no fixed Māori identity, this thesis proposes that all fiction written in English by Māori is motivated by a belief that Māori are a disadvantaged group within New Zealand society. 

Three of the four writers, Ihimaera, Grace and Hulme, write against a background of colonisation. Their fiction confronts grievances based on perceived injustices committed against Māori in the past by European colonists and is concerned with the restoration of Māori rights pertaining to land, language, identity and political voice. While all three engage with these issues in their fiction, this thesis specifically considers the way in which Ihimaera treats the theme of land, Grace focuses on issues of education and Hulme explores Māori mythology.

Alan Duff stands apart from the other three writers in his belief that colonisation is not to blame for contemporary Māori disadvantage. Rather, Duff considers the situation to be the result of inherent flaws within Māori society. Through his often didactic writing he proposes that improved Māori socioeconomic levels can only be achieved through a radical structural and economic re-evaluation of Māori culture.

This thesis contextualises the work of the four authors and explores the ways in which their fiction engages with historical and contemporary issues of “race relations” and cultural identity in New Zealand. A sociological approach has been applied to the texts. This approach derives from the Māori writers’ own insistent reading of contemporary Māori identity as the product of historical encounter between Māori and Pākehā. The authors work in a dialectical relationship to previous Pākehā representations of Māori in literature, are historically revisionist, and are frequently adversarial. 

Despite the differences in personal and political perspectives held by the authors, their fictions share a common goal in their search for Māori pathways to empowerment. This thesis argues that prose fiction written in English by Māori writers contributes to the political activism of the Māori people and helps to foster an environment in which new perspectives on Māori culture and bicultural relations can be articulated.

text: Contextualising Māori writing: a study of prose fiction written in English by Witi Ihimaera, Patricia Grace, Keri Hulme and Alan Duff All prose fiction written in English by Māori is political on one level or another. The authors considered in this thesis, Witi Ihimaera, Patricia Grace, Keri Hulme and Alan Duff, choose to identify as Māori, but for each writer exactly what this entails implies something different. The diverse range of Māori characters represented in their work illustrates the heterogeneity of contemporary Māori identity. Whilst bearing in mind that there is no fixed Māori identity, this thesis proposes that all fiction written in English by Māori is motivated by a belief that Māori are a disadvantaged group within New Zealand society. 

Three of the four writers, Ihimaera, Grace and Hulme, write against a background of colonisation. Their fiction confronts grievances based on perceived injustices committed against Māori in the past by European colonists and is concerned with the restoration of Māori rights pertaining to land, language, identity and political voice. While all three engage with these issues in their fiction, this thesis specifically considers the way in which Ihimaera treats the theme of land, Grace focuses on issues of education and Hulme explores Māori mythology.

Alan Duff stands apart from the other three writers in his belief that colonisation is not to blame for contemporary Māori disadvantage. Rather, Duff considers the situation to be the result of inherent flaws within Māori society. Through his often didactic writing he proposes that improved Māori socioeconomic levels can only be achieved through a radical structural and economic re-evaluation of Māori culture.

This thesis contextualises the work of the four authors and explores the ways in which their fiction engages with historical and contemporary issues of “race relations” and cultural identity in New Zealand. A sociological approach has been applied to the texts. This approach derives from the Māori writers’ own insistent reading of contemporary Māori identity as the product of historical encounter between Māori and Pākehā. The authors work in a dialectical relationship to previous Pākehā representations of Māori in literature, are historically revisionist, and are frequently adversarial. 

Despite the differences in personal and political perspectives held by the authors, their fictions share a common goal in their search for Māori pathways to empowerment. This thesis argues that prose fiction written in English by Māori writers contributes to the political activism of the Māori people and helps to foster an environment in which new perspectives on Māori culture and bicultural relations can be articulated.

year: 2002

title: Exploring how Constraints Affect the Creative Process and Output of Modern Video Media

authors: Garson, Toni Lorraine

subjects: Constraints

abstract: Web series are a fairly new media form, only really emerging within the past 10 years. Dan Williams (2012) describes web series as a form of media that allows independent content creators that are excluded from traditional media forms a voice within the realm of media. Web series developed rapidly from home movies to full scale productions, exhibiting how low budget productions can still be of a high quality. This thesis explores what distinguishes web series from other media forms. The theoretical background surrounding web series provide interesting ideas that can be used to understand the medium further. The accessible nature of web series provides a context from which to understand the medium further.

This research explores real life constraints and how they effect the creative process and output of modern video media, focusing on web series. This project employs a practice-based approach, involving creating an independent web series as a way to discover first hand what constraints were faced, and how they were dealt with. The intent of this study is not to find and define the best way of dealing with certain constraints but rather to explore potential ways to manage obstacles that inevitably arise within a production. Utilizing interview methodologies and autoethnography, with a practice-based approach, this research allowed for a deeper understanding to be gained of the process of creating web series.

text: Exploring how Constraints Affect the Creative Process and Output of Modern Video Media Web series are a fairly new media form, only really emerging within the past 10 years. Dan Williams (2012) describes web series as a form of media that allows independent content creators that are excluded from traditional media forms a voice within the realm of media. Web series developed rapidly from home movies to full scale productions, exhibiting how low budget productions can still be of a high quality. This thesis explores what distinguishes web series from other media forms. The theoretical background surrounding web series provide interesting ideas that can be used to understand the medium further. The accessible nature of web series provides a context from which to understand the medium further.

This research explores real life constraints and how they effect the creative process and output of modern video media, focusing on web series. This project employs a practice-based approach, involving creating an independent web series as a way to discover first hand what constraints were faced, and how they were dealt with. The intent of this study is not to find and define the best way of dealing with certain constraints but rather to explore potential ways to manage obstacles that inevitably arise within a production. Utilizing interview methodologies and autoethnography, with a practice-based approach, this research allowed for a deeper understanding to be gained of the process of creating web series.

year: 2017