title: Moving beyond psychocentric perspectives of suicide: Towards an ecological and social justice understanding

authors: Foley, Shaun

subjects: Suicide

abstract: Suicide is a fundamentally political and deep moral concern within Aotearoa, New Zealand. The act of suicide is best understood as a complex phenomenon occurring within multiple biological, psychological, philosophical, moral, sociocultural, historical, anthropological and economic dimensions. While suicide is a complex phenomenon, the issue of suicide within an Anglocentric context such as Aotearoa is mainly understood from an individualistic, psychocentric conceptualisation that favours biological, medical, and psychological factors. This master’s thesis explored an alternative framework that aimed to go beyond an individualised, psychocentric perspective through using the social determinants of health and an ecological understanding of suicide. The theoretical framework for this research is informed by humanistic and community psychologies, narrative and phenomenology. The study involved an interpretative phenomenological analysis of six autobiographies written by authors who had survived a previous suicide attempt. First, thorough notes were taken through three readings of each book to supplement the interpretative phenomenological analysis approach of the six autobiographical works. The second part of analysis used Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory to extend the themes that were gathered from the interpretative phenomenological analysis and connect them to broader societal structures and social inequalities. The analysis is spread across three chapters. Chapter four discusses Brian’s rationality for suicide. His understanding of suicide challenges the mainstream understandings of suicide, which attribute suicide to being an act of irrationality and madness. Chapter five takes a look across all of authors’ accounts to see how societal inequalities and neoliberalism are intertwined with the complex and long process that can lead a person towards attempting suicide. Chapter six further discusses the authors’ accounts in relation to how social inequalities and social hierarchies foster violence and suicide. Chapter seven closes the thesis with a discussion of the analysis and how a theoretical framework from community psychology provides an understanding of suicide from a broader viewpoint. The discussion considers possible ways of reconceptualising suicide and advocates for an upstream approach to suicide prevention.

text: Moving beyond psychocentric perspectives of suicide: Towards an ecological and social justice understanding Suicide is a fundamentally political and deep moral concern within Aotearoa, New Zealand. The act of suicide is best understood as a complex phenomenon occurring within multiple biological, psychological, philosophical, moral, sociocultural, historical, anthropological and economic dimensions. While suicide is a complex phenomenon, the issue of suicide within an Anglocentric context such as Aotearoa is mainly understood from an individualistic, psychocentric conceptualisation that favours biological, medical, and psychological factors. This master’s thesis explored an alternative framework that aimed to go beyond an individualised, psychocentric perspective through using the social determinants of health and an ecological understanding of suicide. The theoretical framework for this research is informed by humanistic and community psychologies, narrative and phenomenology. The study involved an interpretative phenomenological analysis of six autobiographies written by authors who had survived a previous suicide attempt. First, thorough notes were taken through three readings of each book to supplement the interpretative phenomenological analysis approach of the six autobiographical works. The second part of analysis used Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory to extend the themes that were gathered from the interpretative phenomenological analysis and connect them to broader societal structures and social inequalities. The analysis is spread across three chapters. Chapter four discusses Brian’s rationality for suicide. His understanding of suicide challenges the mainstream understandings of suicide, which attribute suicide to being an act of irrationality and madness. Chapter five takes a look across all of authors’ accounts to see how societal inequalities and neoliberalism are intertwined with the complex and long process that can lead a person towards attempting suicide. Chapter six further discusses the authors’ accounts in relation to how social inequalities and social hierarchies foster violence and suicide. Chapter seven closes the thesis with a discussion of the analysis and how a theoretical framework from community psychology provides an understanding of suicide from a broader viewpoint. The discussion considers possible ways of reconceptualising suicide and advocates for an upstream approach to suicide prevention.

year: 2021

title: On the doctoral journey: An introduction to articles in this issue

authors: Newcombe, Nicolina Isabel

abstract: We are pleased to contribute to the ongoing work of Waikato Journal of Educationin growingknowledge and understanding of educational research and the experiences of researchers. Wehope you find value in the articles in this special issue.

text: On the doctoral journey: An introduction to articles in this issue We are pleased to contribute to the ongoing work of Waikato Journal of Educationin growingknowledge and understanding of educational research and the experiences of researchers. Wehope you find value in the articles in this special issue.

year: 2022-09-08

title: Culture and climate change: A study of future-proofing Māori tourism businesses

authors: Tawhai, Crystal Candace

subjects: culture

abstract: This thesis explores how prepared Māori tourism businesses are to adapt to climate change and how Māori values may influence the business's perception of responses to climate change. As climate impacts are growing in New Zealand, as a result of increasing extreme weather events, how can Māori tourism businesses protect their taonga (resources)? Taonga in the context of this study includes Māori values, lands, seas and their businesses. Furthermore, the literature indicates that Māori tourism significantly contributes to the economic, social and cultural wellbeing for Māori and wider New Zealand (NZ Māori Tourism, 2018). 
At a specific level, the study focuses on three Māori tourism businesses. Two of the businesses are North Island-based whānau-owned enterprises, one on Kāpiti Island and the other in Napier. The third is a hapū-owned business located in Kaikoura in the South Island. Drawing on kaupapa Māori frameworks built on Māori struggles for tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake (self-determination), the study adheres to kaupapa Māori principles of carrying out research by Māori to benefit Māori. The primary data for the study was collected through semi-structured interviews with each of the businesses, taking care to ensure the cultural safety of the participants and using appropriate tikanga (protocol) in each interview. 

The findings of the study show that Māori tourism businesses are adapting to environmental changes but are unsure about the pace of climate change. The uncertainties are due to a lack of access to information and competing priorities within their businesses. The research also shows how decisions made by local government as well as business perceptions of local and central government institutions negatively impacts on the ability of businesses to adapt to climate change. While there were differences in the businesses’ treatment of science and scientific information, all of them prioritised Māori cultural values. Significantly, these values underpin all the activities of the businesses, including, environmental enhancement and protection. An emphasis on Māori values in facilitated partnerships between tourism businesses, government bodies, and other community stakeholders on co-designing climate change adaptation strategies can help the tourism sector to prepare for a changing climate.

text: Culture and climate change: A study of future-proofing Māori tourism businesses This thesis explores how prepared Māori tourism businesses are to adapt to climate change and how Māori values may influence the business's perception of responses to climate change. As climate impacts are growing in New Zealand, as a result of increasing extreme weather events, how can Māori tourism businesses protect their taonga (resources)? Taonga in the context of this study includes Māori values, lands, seas and their businesses. Furthermore, the literature indicates that Māori tourism significantly contributes to the economic, social and cultural wellbeing for Māori and wider New Zealand (NZ Māori Tourism, 2018). 
At a specific level, the study focuses on three Māori tourism businesses. Two of the businesses are North Island-based whānau-owned enterprises, one on Kāpiti Island and the other in Napier. The third is a hapū-owned business located in Kaikoura in the South Island. Drawing on kaupapa Māori frameworks built on Māori struggles for tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake (self-determination), the study adheres to kaupapa Māori principles of carrying out research by Māori to benefit Māori. The primary data for the study was collected through semi-structured interviews with each of the businesses, taking care to ensure the cultural safety of the participants and using appropriate tikanga (protocol) in each interview. 

The findings of the study show that Māori tourism businesses are adapting to environmental changes but are unsure about the pace of climate change. The uncertainties are due to a lack of access to information and competing priorities within their businesses. The research also shows how decisions made by local government as well as business perceptions of local and central government institutions negatively impacts on the ability of businesses to adapt to climate change. While there were differences in the businesses’ treatment of science and scientific information, all of them prioritised Māori cultural values. Significantly, these values underpin all the activities of the businesses, including, environmental enhancement and protection. An emphasis on Māori values in facilitated partnerships between tourism businesses, government bodies, and other community stakeholders on co-designing climate change adaptation strategies can help the tourism sector to prepare for a changing climate.

year: 2020