title: Fakakoloa as embodied mana moana and agency: Postcolonial sociology within Oceania

authors: Fa'avae, David Taufui Mkiato

abstract: The coupling of mana moana is grounded in inspiration from and through Indigeneity and Moana sense-making (intimate understanding through our sensibilities within Oceania). Tongan meaning-making is centred on talanoa-vā, a framework that begins theorisation and analytical unpacking from an Indigenous Moana relational vantage point. We employ talatalanoa (ongoing conversations) to story and capture our conceptualisations of fakakoloa (purposefully sharing and imparting knowledge) and mana moana across interdisciplinary intersections as Tongan male educators and researchers working across the social sciences and health sciences. Our unpacking of mana moana as collective agency and responsibility is a feature of being located in tu‘atonga (outside of Tonga; also relates to the Tongan diaspora). Fronting and centring Tongan thought and concepts is our way of grounding relational sense-making in Aotearoa/New Zealand whenua (places). Sociological inquiry through decoloniality within the postcolonial era from a Moana vantage point relies on approaches like talanoa-vā and talatalanoa to disrupt the normalised conditions and traditions of thinking and theorising within Euro-American-centric academe.

text: Fakakoloa as embodied mana moana and agency: Postcolonial sociology within Oceania The coupling of mana moana is grounded in inspiration from and through Indigeneity and Moana sense-making (intimate understanding through our sensibilities within Oceania). Tongan meaning-making is centred on talanoa-vā, a framework that begins theorisation and analytical unpacking from an Indigenous Moana relational vantage point. We employ talatalanoa (ongoing conversations) to story and capture our conceptualisations of fakakoloa (purposefully sharing and imparting knowledge) and mana moana across interdisciplinary intersections as Tongan male educators and researchers working across the social sciences and health sciences. Our unpacking of mana moana as collective agency and responsibility is a feature of being located in tu‘atonga (outside of Tonga; also relates to the Tongan diaspora). Fronting and centring Tongan thought and concepts is our way of grounding relational sense-making in Aotearoa/New Zealand whenua (places). Sociological inquiry through decoloniality within the postcolonial era from a Moana vantage point relies on approaches like talanoa-vā and talatalanoa to disrupt the normalised conditions and traditions of thinking and theorising within Euro-American-centric academe.

year: 2022

title: The exploration of static typography for expressing the emotive qualities of music

authors: Lu, Amanda (Meng-Hsuan)

subjects: typography

abstract: This thesis explores how the pure form of static typography can express the emotive qualities of music. More specifically, how typefaces/letterforms and typographic compositions can produce emotive associations; and whether combining both aspects can enhance the emotive value.

Emotion, typography and music are the three core subject areas of this research. Using music as the medium to elicit emotions, the findings from this thesis indicate that typeface/letterform is the most effective aspect of static typography to express emotive qualities, followed by the combination of both typographic aspects, and typographic composition which has the least impact for emotive connections. 

Five influential factors affecting the process of emotive association between music and static typography has been found: 1) Association of typographic attributes and design principles to emotive qualities, 2) Direct association using emotive terms and adjectives, 3) Connotation through personal memory and imagination, 4) Association to human voice and human touch, and 5) Association to phonetic properties of music. 

Chapter 2 of this thesis presents a review of the literature from the three main subject areas. It begins from the psychology of emotions and the importance of emotional attachment in design. Next, the chapter discusses the visual logic and creation of emotions through the pure anatomy of letterforms and typographic experimentation. The third section continues with how music can evoke emotions and the analogy between the properties of music and typographic characteristics. 

Chapter 3  4 presents original research of this thesis, initiating with a formative pilot study where three music sequences were selected and three corresponding typographic compositions designed by the researcher. The method of matching one sequence to one design piece was employed. Chapter 4 continues with original research, where modification was made to the methodology to obtain more specific results. Each aspect of static typography was investigated individually. The combination of both aspects was also tested to examine whether it can enhance the emotive impact.

Findings from this research intend to present fresh realization to graphic designers, typographers and type designers, highlighting the tangible and enduring essence of static typography, with its power to engage the audience on an emotive level.

text: The exploration of static typography for expressing the emotive qualities of music This thesis explores how the pure form of static typography can express the emotive qualities of music. More specifically, how typefaces/letterforms and typographic compositions can produce emotive associations; and whether combining both aspects can enhance the emotive value.

Emotion, typography and music are the three core subject areas of this research. Using music as the medium to elicit emotions, the findings from this thesis indicate that typeface/letterform is the most effective aspect of static typography to express emotive qualities, followed by the combination of both typographic aspects, and typographic composition which has the least impact for emotive connections. 

Five influential factors affecting the process of emotive association between music and static typography has been found: 1) Association of typographic attributes and design principles to emotive qualities, 2) Direct association using emotive terms and adjectives, 3) Connotation through personal memory and imagination, 4) Association to human voice and human touch, and 5) Association to phonetic properties of music. 

Chapter 2 of this thesis presents a review of the literature from the three main subject areas. It begins from the psychology of emotions and the importance of emotional attachment in design. Next, the chapter discusses the visual logic and creation of emotions through the pure anatomy of letterforms and typographic experimentation. The third section continues with how music can evoke emotions and the analogy between the properties of music and typographic characteristics. 

Chapter 3  4 presents original research of this thesis, initiating with a formative pilot study where three music sequences were selected and three corresponding typographic compositions designed by the researcher. The method of matching one sequence to one design piece was employed. Chapter 4 continues with original research, where modification was made to the methodology to obtain more specific results. Each aspect of static typography was investigated individually. The combination of both aspects was also tested to examine whether it can enhance the emotive impact.

Findings from this research intend to present fresh realization to graphic designers, typographers and type designers, highlighting the tangible and enduring essence of static typography, with its power to engage the audience on an emotive level.

year: 2009

title: Summerhill school is it possible in Aotearoa New Zealand?: Challenging the neo-liberal ideologies in our hegemonic schooling system

authors: Peck, Mikaere Michelle S.

subjects: Matriarchal society

abstract: The original purpose of this thesis is to explore the possibility of setting up a school in Aotearoa (New Zealand) that operates according to the principles and philosophies of Summerhill School in Suffolk, England. An examination of Summerhill School is therefore the purpose of this study, particularly because of its commitment to self-regulation and direct democracy for children. My argument within this study is that Summerhill presents precisely the type of model Māori as Tangata Whenua (Indigenous people of Aotearoa) need in our design of an alternative schooling programme, given that self-regulation and direct democracy are traits conducive to achieving Tino Rangitiratanga (Self-government, autonomy and control). In claiming this however, not only would Tangata Whenua benefit from this model of schooling; indeed it has the potential to serve the purpose of all people regardless of age race or gender. At present, no school in Aotearoa has replicated Summerhill's principles and philosophies in their entirety. 
Given the constraints of a Master's thesis, this piece of work is therefore only intended as a theoretical background study for a much larger kaupapa (purpose). It is my intention to produce a further and more comprehensive study in the future using Summerhill as a vehicle to initiate a model school in Aotearoa that is completely antithetical to the dominant neo-liberal philosophy of our age. To this end, my study intends to demonstrate how neo-liberal schooling is universally dictated by global money market trends, and how it is an ideology fueled by the indifferent acceptance of the general population. In other words, neo-liberal theory is a theory of capitalist colonisation. 
In order to address the long term vision, this project will be comprised of two major components. The first will be a study of the principal philosophies that govern Summerhill School. As I will argue, Summerhill creates an environment that is uniquely successful and fulfilling for the children who attend. At the same time, it will also be shown how it is a philosophy that is entirely contrary to a neo-liberal mindset; an antidote, to a certain extent, to the ills of contemporary schooling. The second component will address the historical movement of schooling in Aotearoa since the Labour Party's landslide victory in 1984, and how the New Zealand Curriculum has been affected by these changes. I intend to trace the importation of neo-liberal methodologies into Aotearoa such as the 'Picot Taskforce,' 'Tomorrows Schools' and 'Bulk Funding,' to name but a few. The neo-liberal ideologies that have swept through this country in the last two decades have relentlessly metamorphosised departments into businesses and forced ministries into the marketplace, hence causing the 'ideological reduction of education' and confining it to the parameters of schooling.
The purpose of this research project is to act as a catalyst for the ultimate materialization of an original vision; the implementation of a school like Summerhill in Aotearoa. A study of the neo-liberal ideologies that currently dominate this country is imperative in order to understand the current schooling situation in Aotearoa and create an informed comparison between the 'learning for freedom' style of Summerhill and the 'learning to earn' style of our status quo schools. It is my hope to strengthen the argument in favour of Summerhill philosophy by offering an understanding of the difference between the two completely opposing methods of learning.

text: Summerhill school is it possible in Aotearoa New Zealand?: Challenging the neo-liberal ideologies in our hegemonic schooling system The original purpose of this thesis is to explore the possibility of setting up a school in Aotearoa (New Zealand) that operates according to the principles and philosophies of Summerhill School in Suffolk, England. An examination of Summerhill School is therefore the purpose of this study, particularly because of its commitment to self-regulation and direct democracy for children. My argument within this study is that Summerhill presents precisely the type of model Māori as Tangata Whenua (Indigenous people of Aotearoa) need in our design of an alternative schooling programme, given that self-regulation and direct democracy are traits conducive to achieving Tino Rangitiratanga (Self-government, autonomy and control). In claiming this however, not only would Tangata Whenua benefit from this model of schooling; indeed it has the potential to serve the purpose of all people regardless of age race or gender. At present, no school in Aotearoa has replicated Summerhill's principles and philosophies in their entirety. 
Given the constraints of a Master's thesis, this piece of work is therefore only intended as a theoretical background study for a much larger kaupapa (purpose). It is my intention to produce a further and more comprehensive study in the future using Summerhill as a vehicle to initiate a model school in Aotearoa that is completely antithetical to the dominant neo-liberal philosophy of our age. To this end, my study intends to demonstrate how neo-liberal schooling is universally dictated by global money market trends, and how it is an ideology fueled by the indifferent acceptance of the general population. In other words, neo-liberal theory is a theory of capitalist colonisation. 
In order to address the long term vision, this project will be comprised of two major components. The first will be a study of the principal philosophies that govern Summerhill School. As I will argue, Summerhill creates an environment that is uniquely successful and fulfilling for the children who attend. At the same time, it will also be shown how it is a philosophy that is entirely contrary to a neo-liberal mindset; an antidote, to a certain extent, to the ills of contemporary schooling. The second component will address the historical movement of schooling in Aotearoa since the Labour Party's landslide victory in 1984, and how the New Zealand Curriculum has been affected by these changes. I intend to trace the importation of neo-liberal methodologies into Aotearoa such as the 'Picot Taskforce,' 'Tomorrows Schools' and 'Bulk Funding,' to name but a few. The neo-liberal ideologies that have swept through this country in the last two decades have relentlessly metamorphosised departments into businesses and forced ministries into the marketplace, hence causing the 'ideological reduction of education' and confining it to the parameters of schooling.
The purpose of this research project is to act as a catalyst for the ultimate materialization of an original vision; the implementation of a school like Summerhill in Aotearoa. A study of the neo-liberal ideologies that currently dominate this country is imperative in order to understand the current schooling situation in Aotearoa and create an informed comparison between the 'learning for freedom' style of Summerhill and the 'learning to earn' style of our status quo schools. It is my hope to strengthen the argument in favour of Summerhill philosophy by offering an understanding of the difference between the two completely opposing methods of learning.

year: 2009