title: Global Environmental Change and the Politics of Sustainable Consumption in New Zealand

authors: Lewin, Joanna Alice

subjects: Global environmental change

abstract: Consumption has emerged as a pivotal concept in environmental sustainability debates. Since the 1992 Earth Summit, there has been an increasing focus on the role that consumption and consumer lifestyles play in global environmental change. Agenda 21 called on countries to promote more 'sustainable consumption' patterns and lifestyles. Despite these recommendations, there are significant political and ideological challenges to implementing effective sustainable consumption policies at a global and national level.

This thesis explores the politics of sustainable consumption in New Zealand. Using critical discourse analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine consumers, I employ post-structural and cultural geography theories to unpack the problematic nature of sustainable consumption. In particular, I examine dominant environmental and consumption discourses to explore why barriers to sustainable consumption exist. It is important to examine these issues from a socio-cultural perspective, as the dominant hegemonic discourses relating to the environment and sustainability shape both policy responses and public understandings of environmental change and sustainability issues.

Prevailing policy responses to environmental change in New Zealand construct the 'environmental problem' in narrowly scientific and economic terms. Concern has centred on 'managing' carbon emissions, rather than addressing the underlying drivers of environmental degradation which lie in current political-economic structures and consumption levels. As such, environmental policy has been embedded within an ecological modernisation discourse which links sustainability with notions of 'progress' and efficiency. Under this discourse, the consumer has been repositioned as an important 'political' agent responsible for fostering sustainable consumption and environmental care. Through largely non-political and non-regulatory measures, consumers have been encouraged to reduce their 'carbon footprints' by considering the environmental impacts of their daily personal consumption habits. This approach has individualised and depoliticised environmental issues, obscured the complexities of personal consumption and sustainability, and left limited options for participation in processes of change.

text: Global Environmental Change and the Politics of Sustainable Consumption in New Zealand Consumption has emerged as a pivotal concept in environmental sustainability debates. Since the 1992 Earth Summit, there has been an increasing focus on the role that consumption and consumer lifestyles play in global environmental change. Agenda 21 called on countries to promote more 'sustainable consumption' patterns and lifestyles. Despite these recommendations, there are significant political and ideological challenges to implementing effective sustainable consumption policies at a global and national level.

This thesis explores the politics of sustainable consumption in New Zealand. Using critical discourse analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine consumers, I employ post-structural and cultural geography theories to unpack the problematic nature of sustainable consumption. In particular, I examine dominant environmental and consumption discourses to explore why barriers to sustainable consumption exist. It is important to examine these issues from a socio-cultural perspective, as the dominant hegemonic discourses relating to the environment and sustainability shape both policy responses and public understandings of environmental change and sustainability issues.

Prevailing policy responses to environmental change in New Zealand construct the 'environmental problem' in narrowly scientific and economic terms. Concern has centred on 'managing' carbon emissions, rather than addressing the underlying drivers of environmental degradation which lie in current political-economic structures and consumption levels. As such, environmental policy has been embedded within an ecological modernisation discourse which links sustainability with notions of 'progress' and efficiency. Under this discourse, the consumer has been repositioned as an important 'political' agent responsible for fostering sustainable consumption and environmental care. Through largely non-political and non-regulatory measures, consumers have been encouraged to reduce their 'carbon footprints' by considering the environmental impacts of their daily personal consumption habits. This approach has individualised and depoliticised environmental issues, obscured the complexities of personal consumption and sustainability, and left limited options for participation in processes of change.

year: 2009

title: Teachers in training: Their transition experiences and their perceptions of preparedness to teach in Solomon Islands schools

authors: Maelagi, Edward E. R

subjects: Solomon Islands

abstract: This study examines the experiences of seven Solomon Islands teachers who completed the transition from being unqualified teachers (UQTs) to fully qualified professionals (FQPs) through the Teachers in Training Programme (TITP) at the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE). It is unfortunate that in many developed and developing countries, such as the Solomon Islands, large numbers of UQTs are employed in schools. The School of Education (SOE) at SICHE, supported by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), and with funding provided by the New Zealand government through NZAID, established the TITP to help address the issue of UQTs in Solomon Islands schools. The teachers at the centre of this study worked through this programme during 2007, 2008 and 2009, and took up teaching positions in schools as FQPs in 2010. The study presents the narratives of seven individuals who made this journey over the 2007 – 2010 period. These narratives are analysed to identify key features of the participants‟ transition and to evaluate the impact of the programme on those engaged in it. Research data for this study were collected using qualitative research methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate the perceptions of the seven participants of their transition experiences in their work in schools as UQTs; as participants in the TITP; and their perceptions of their teaching at the time of data collection as fully qualified professionals (FQPs). The seven participants were selected from four Community High Schools (CHSs); three schools were from an urban area and one was from a rural setting. The collection of data was done in the Solomon Islands in April and May, 2010. The thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the study data. The data collected and analysed revealed some interesting findings. Of particular interest were the reasons the participants gave for becoming teachers; the professional and personal difficulties they had experienced; their perceptions of the form of support they received; the change of attitudes toward teaching and teaching practices that they experienced; the impact of the TITP in their ii preparation to be FQPs; and their perceptions of their teaching now as FQPs. The findings of the study suggest that UQTs need to be supported and nurtured with the provision of mentors as they make the journey to being teachers in schools. The study findings also suggest that schools need to be supported to accommodate UQTs; and that the TITP as a teacher education programme should be continued and extended until such time as the issue of UQTs in the Solomon Islands is properly addressed.

text: Teachers in training: Their transition experiences and their perceptions of preparedness to teach in Solomon Islands schools This study examines the experiences of seven Solomon Islands teachers who completed the transition from being unqualified teachers (UQTs) to fully qualified professionals (FQPs) through the Teachers in Training Programme (TITP) at the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE). It is unfortunate that in many developed and developing countries, such as the Solomon Islands, large numbers of UQTs are employed in schools. The School of Education (SOE) at SICHE, supported by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), and with funding provided by the New Zealand government through NZAID, established the TITP to help address the issue of UQTs in Solomon Islands schools. The teachers at the centre of this study worked through this programme during 2007, 2008 and 2009, and took up teaching positions in schools as FQPs in 2010. The study presents the narratives of seven individuals who made this journey over the 2007 – 2010 period. These narratives are analysed to identify key features of the participants‟ transition and to evaluate the impact of the programme on those engaged in it. Research data for this study were collected using qualitative research methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate the perceptions of the seven participants of their transition experiences in their work in schools as UQTs; as participants in the TITP; and their perceptions of their teaching at the time of data collection as fully qualified professionals (FQPs). The seven participants were selected from four Community High Schools (CHSs); three schools were from an urban area and one was from a rural setting. The collection of data was done in the Solomon Islands in April and May, 2010. The thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the study data. The data collected and analysed revealed some interesting findings. Of particular interest were the reasons the participants gave for becoming teachers; the professional and personal difficulties they had experienced; their perceptions of the form of support they received; the change of attitudes toward teaching and teaching practices that they experienced; the impact of the TITP in their ii preparation to be FQPs; and their perceptions of their teaching now as FQPs. The findings of the study suggest that UQTs need to be supported and nurtured with the provision of mentors as they make the journey to being teachers in schools. The study findings also suggest that schools need to be supported to accommodate UQTs; and that the TITP as a teacher education programme should be continued and extended until such time as the issue of UQTs in the Solomon Islands is properly addressed.

year: 2011

title: Inclusion of indigenous peoples in CONFINTEA VI and follow-up processes

authors: Morrison, Sandra L.

subjects: indigenous people and CONFINTEA VI

abstract: This paper discusses key issues raised by indigenous peoples during CONFINTEA VI and proposes strategies to enable them to participate in ongoing processes. Indigenous peoples are not involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of adult education programmes, and this often results in a “one-size-fits-all” model. This article takes the position that indigenous people must have full and effective participation in all matters which concern them and that well-meaning policy statements are only as effective as the display of real effort to make them work. One example of an indigenous community taking initiative in order to free itself of overwhelming deficit positioning by mainstream educational and other systems is the Māori community of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The paper argues that through CONFINTEA VI, there is still space for the voice of indigenous peoples to be heard.

text: Inclusion of indigenous peoples in CONFINTEA VI and follow-up processes This paper discusses key issues raised by indigenous peoples during CONFINTEA VI and proposes strategies to enable them to participate in ongoing processes. Indigenous peoples are not involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of adult education programmes, and this often results in a “one-size-fits-all” model. This article takes the position that indigenous people must have full and effective participation in all matters which concern them and that well-meaning policy statements are only as effective as the display of real effort to make them work. One example of an indigenous community taking initiative in order to free itself of overwhelming deficit positioning by mainstream educational and other systems is the Māori community of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The paper argues that through CONFINTEA VI, there is still space for the voice of indigenous peoples to be heard.

year: 2011