title: Quality of Life - Impacts from the Family Planning Policy in China

authors: Liang, Yun

subjects: fertility

abstract: The relationship between population size, the quality of human capital, and the quality of life, interests social scientists. This topic is particularly important in China, where a previous ‘demographic gift’ is becoming a ‘demographic debt’ due to fertility below the replacement rate, and an aging society that places pressure on the social welfare system for elderly and young children. In this thesis, impacts of family size on aspects of the quality of life, such as the nutrient intakes of children and health outcomes of elderly are studied. The response of the working-age population in supporting the two groups through the channel of fertility is also studied.  Multiple waves of data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey are used as the major data source. 
The thesis uses changes in local regulations of family planning policy over time and space as a source of exogenous variation in family size to assist in identifying the causal effect of family size on the selected outcomes. Panel analysis is also applied to deal with the unobservable factors at individual level. For children, a quantity-quality trade-off is apparent when quality of children is measure by the nutrient intakes. The trade-off would be less apparent if exogenous sources of variation in family size were ignored.  For the elderly, their health appears to be adversely affected by the number of grandchildren, especially for grandmothers and especially in urban areas. 
Decomposition analysis for the urban-rural fertility gap finds that the fertility gap between women living in rural and urban area is mostly caused by their different characteristics, whereas the fertility gap between urban and rural hukou holders is more of an inherent thing that lowers the fertility of women with urban hukou. This finding suggests the possible policy trade-off between encouraging urbanisation and encouraging higher fertility may not be as strong as they initially appear.

text: Quality of Life - Impacts from the Family Planning Policy in China The relationship between population size, the quality of human capital, and the quality of life, interests social scientists. This topic is particularly important in China, where a previous ‘demographic gift’ is becoming a ‘demographic debt’ due to fertility below the replacement rate, and an aging society that places pressure on the social welfare system for elderly and young children. In this thesis, impacts of family size on aspects of the quality of life, such as the nutrient intakes of children and health outcomes of elderly are studied. The response of the working-age population in supporting the two groups through the channel of fertility is also studied.  Multiple waves of data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey are used as the major data source. 
The thesis uses changes in local regulations of family planning policy over time and space as a source of exogenous variation in family size to assist in identifying the causal effect of family size on the selected outcomes. Panel analysis is also applied to deal with the unobservable factors at individual level. For children, a quantity-quality trade-off is apparent when quality of children is measure by the nutrient intakes. The trade-off would be less apparent if exogenous sources of variation in family size were ignored.  For the elderly, their health appears to be adversely affected by the number of grandchildren, especially for grandmothers and especially in urban areas. 
Decomposition analysis for the urban-rural fertility gap finds that the fertility gap between women living in rural and urban area is mostly caused by their different characteristics, whereas the fertility gap between urban and rural hukou holders is more of an inherent thing that lowers the fertility of women with urban hukou. This finding suggests the possible policy trade-off between encouraging urbanisation and encouraging higher fertility may not be as strong as they initially appear.

year: 2018

title: Muddy Doctors and Mustard Poultices: Medical knowledge and practices in colonial New Zealand

authors: Bishop, Joanna Lisa

subjects: Colonial health

abstract: This thesis examines health care in colonial New Zealand and sets about identifying and recognising the care which was given by women in their homes and communities. Based around four dominant etiological theories of the nineteenth century it explores the introduction, application and adaptation of medical knowledge in New Zealand. An overview of public health care in New Zealand from the late 1700s through to the 1930s is included. This covers the introduction of disease to the colony, the role of missionaries as healers, the contribution made by private medical practitioners as well as the professionlisation of medicine in New Zealand and the development of public health practices. This research is placed in the broader context of European colonisation and uncovers settler’s ideas, beliefs and perceptions surrounding health and disease. The use of medical rhetoric to control the population and promote progressive ideals is discussed. The importance and prevalence of domestic health practice becomes clear when we examine colonial diaries and correspondence and take into account the haphazard nature of the public health systems and the popularity of home medical books. The division of labour generated through gender stereotyping meant that women in particular worked tirelessly as health care providers with little remuneration or recognition. Domestic health care has been overlooked in our country’s official medical history. This thesis seeks to address that omission.

text: Muddy Doctors and Mustard Poultices: Medical knowledge and practices in colonial New Zealand This thesis examines health care in colonial New Zealand and sets about identifying and recognising the care which was given by women in their homes and communities. Based around four dominant etiological theories of the nineteenth century it explores the introduction, application and adaptation of medical knowledge in New Zealand. An overview of public health care in New Zealand from the late 1700s through to the 1930s is included. This covers the introduction of disease to the colony, the role of missionaries as healers, the contribution made by private medical practitioners as well as the professionlisation of medicine in New Zealand and the development of public health practices. This research is placed in the broader context of European colonisation and uncovers settler’s ideas, beliefs and perceptions surrounding health and disease. The use of medical rhetoric to control the population and promote progressive ideals is discussed. The importance and prevalence of domestic health practice becomes clear when we examine colonial diaries and correspondence and take into account the haphazard nature of the public health systems and the popularity of home medical books. The division of labour generated through gender stereotyping meant that women in particular worked tirelessly as health care providers with little remuneration or recognition. Domestic health care has been overlooked in our country’s official medical history. This thesis seeks to address that omission.

year: 2010

title: Location of Te Wahitapu Stream and other possible streams in 1877

authors: de Lange, Willem P.

abstract: Review of evidence to establish, with as much confidence as possible, the path of the Te Wahitapu Stream at Matapouri in 1877. The review also examines if other streams may have been present on or in the vicinity of Te Wahitapu Stream in 1877, and if the 1877 or later tsunami may have latered the course of the boundary stream.

text: Location of Te Wahitapu Stream and other possible streams in 1877 Review of evidence to establish, with as much confidence as possible, the path of the Te Wahitapu Stream at Matapouri in 1877. The review also examines if other streams may have been present on or in the vicinity of Te Wahitapu Stream in 1877, and if the 1877 or later tsunami may have latered the course of the boundary stream.

year: 2009