title: Wounded bodies and illness narratives: a history of attitudes and behaviour towards HIV-positive homosexual men in New Zealand between 1983 and 1997

authors: Ware, Cheryl Anne

subjects: HIV/AIDS

abstract: New Zealand had its first case of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in 1983, two years after the disease was identified in America. The HIV/AIDS epidemic devastated a society that was unprepared for the social and medical implications of a deadly disease, and many New Zealanders were thrust into a state of moral panic. 

This thesis contributes to New Zealand’s social and cultural histories of health and illness by examining individual homosexual men’s experiences living with HIV/AIDS. It examines the previously untold individual experiences of homosexual men with HIV/AIDS as discussed in their life narrative interviews. The thesis considers that while these men’s experiences are individually subjective, dominant thematic threads emerge across the narratives which indicate patterns in gay men’s experiences with HIV/AIDS in New Zealand. 

Homosexual men with HIV/AIDS faced the double stigma of being gay in a society that condemned homosexuality, and living with a previously terminal disease. Images of homosexual men as ‘guilty’, and ‘deviant’ were spread through public channels including newspaper and magazine articles, which fuelled pre-existing anti-homosexual feelings.  

By drawing on the men’s individual narratives, the thesis describes and analyses the negotiations that occur between their individual and collective memories. The participants used their individual narratives both to obtain agency, and also to dispel derogatory archetypes that have been constructed about homosexual men. 

These men’s individual narratives have not previously been recorded, and are valuable to New Zealand history because they offer first-hand accounts of the patients’ experiences living with HIV/AIDS in New Zealand.

text: Wounded bodies and illness narratives: a history of attitudes and behaviour towards HIV-positive homosexual men in New Zealand between 1983 and 1997 New Zealand had its first case of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in 1983, two years after the disease was identified in America. The HIV/AIDS epidemic devastated a society that was unprepared for the social and medical implications of a deadly disease, and many New Zealanders were thrust into a state of moral panic. 

This thesis contributes to New Zealand’s social and cultural histories of health and illness by examining individual homosexual men’s experiences living with HIV/AIDS. It examines the previously untold individual experiences of homosexual men with HIV/AIDS as discussed in their life narrative interviews. The thesis considers that while these men’s experiences are individually subjective, dominant thematic threads emerge across the narratives which indicate patterns in gay men’s experiences with HIV/AIDS in New Zealand. 

Homosexual men with HIV/AIDS faced the double stigma of being gay in a society that condemned homosexuality, and living with a previously terminal disease. Images of homosexual men as ‘guilty’, and ‘deviant’ were spread through public channels including newspaper and magazine articles, which fuelled pre-existing anti-homosexual feelings.  

By drawing on the men’s individual narratives, the thesis describes and analyses the negotiations that occur between their individual and collective memories. The participants used their individual narratives both to obtain agency, and also to dispel derogatory archetypes that have been constructed about homosexual men. 

These men’s individual narratives have not previously been recorded, and are valuable to New Zealand history because they offer first-hand accounts of the patients’ experiences living with HIV/AIDS in New Zealand.

year: 2011

title: Examining young students’ preference for parenting styles and the effects of gender and emotions

authors: Mir, Zara

subjects: young participant's preference

abstract: This study used a new research method in order to examine the preference of young participants for a particular parenting style and how self-reported emotions (positive or negative) could have influenced their preference. Also of interest were participants’ perceptions of their parents’ parenting styles. More specifically, the research aimed to determine (1) which is the most preferred parenting style of  young participants and is there a gender effect when selecting a preferred parenting style?; (2) what parenting style ratings do participants give to their parents (biological fathers and mothers) and will they be different from their own ratings? – And finally (3) are the ratings for the three parenting styles somehow related and did the levels of their current emotions (positive and negative) relate to these ratings? The study recruited 100 students (18-25 years) from the University of Waikato. They all completed the first questionnaire “Parenting Style and Dimension Questionnaire,” which involved measures of parenting practice towards the children as well as a second questionnaire “The PERMA Profiler” which involved measures of overall positive and negative emotions among participants in the past few months. First, it was found that authoritative parenting style was the most preferred parenting style as compared to authoritarian and permissive parenting style. The permissive parenting style was the second preferred parenting style and the authoritarian style was the least preferred parenting style. Moreover, only a small gender effect was observed in those preferences.  Further, our research demonstrated that participants’ ratings for their own parenting style were similar to the ratings they gave to their parents’ parenting style. Participants rated the authoritative parenting style for themselves slightly higher than for their parents, the authoritarian parenting style as slightly lower, and the permissive parenting style was rated similar as for their fathers, and slightly lower than their ratings for their mothers. Inferential statistics revealed that self-reported overall positive emotions as assessed by the PERMA profiler (positive emotions, relationships, meaning, and achievements) positively correlated with the ratings of participants’ authoritative parenting style. On the other hand, self-reported negative emotions and loneliness positively correlated with the ratings of the authoritarian and permissive parenting styles. These findings will hopefully help to promote more research into factors influencing parent’s preference for certain parenting styles, which are particularly helpful in creating flourishing upbringing in children.

text: Examining young students’ preference for parenting styles and the effects of gender and emotions This study used a new research method in order to examine the preference of young participants for a particular parenting style and how self-reported emotions (positive or negative) could have influenced their preference. Also of interest were participants’ perceptions of their parents’ parenting styles. More specifically, the research aimed to determine (1) which is the most preferred parenting style of  young participants and is there a gender effect when selecting a preferred parenting style?; (2) what parenting style ratings do participants give to their parents (biological fathers and mothers) and will they be different from their own ratings? – And finally (3) are the ratings for the three parenting styles somehow related and did the levels of their current emotions (positive and negative) relate to these ratings? The study recruited 100 students (18-25 years) from the University of Waikato. They all completed the first questionnaire “Parenting Style and Dimension Questionnaire,” which involved measures of parenting practice towards the children as well as a second questionnaire “The PERMA Profiler” which involved measures of overall positive and negative emotions among participants in the past few months. First, it was found that authoritative parenting style was the most preferred parenting style as compared to authoritarian and permissive parenting style. The permissive parenting style was the second preferred parenting style and the authoritarian style was the least preferred parenting style. Moreover, only a small gender effect was observed in those preferences.  Further, our research demonstrated that participants’ ratings for their own parenting style were similar to the ratings they gave to their parents’ parenting style. Participants rated the authoritative parenting style for themselves slightly higher than for their parents, the authoritarian parenting style as slightly lower, and the permissive parenting style was rated similar as for their fathers, and slightly lower than their ratings for their mothers. Inferential statistics revealed that self-reported overall positive emotions as assessed by the PERMA profiler (positive emotions, relationships, meaning, and achievements) positively correlated with the ratings of participants’ authoritative parenting style. On the other hand, self-reported negative emotions and loneliness positively correlated with the ratings of the authoritarian and permissive parenting styles. These findings will hopefully help to promote more research into factors influencing parent’s preference for certain parenting styles, which are particularly helpful in creating flourishing upbringing in children.

year: 2020

title: Family structure and change in early childhood and the wellbeing of tamariki Maori

authors: Kukutai, Tahu

subjects: family structure

abstract: Internationally there is growing evidence that family structure, and changes in structure, have an impact on children’s health and wellbeing and the intergenerational transmission of inequity. The effects, however, vary by socio-economic context and ethnicity. Using longitudinal data from Growing Up in New Zealand (n = 1349), we examine family structure and change for tamariki Māori during early childhood, and the potential impacts on their development and wellbeing. We find that a stable two-parent family is the primary experience for tamariki Māori, and sole parenthood is transitory. Diverse family trajectories appear to be linked to poorer cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes but are not the main driver. More important are maternal factors, notably age and education, and material hardship. Importantly, higher levels of cultural connectedness among tamariki Māori, which are associated with diverse family forms, seem to promote socio-emotional development. Our study provides further incentive for policy and programmes that centre equity and support access to the determinants of health for tamariki Māori.

text: Family structure and change in early childhood and the wellbeing of tamariki Maori Internationally there is growing evidence that family structure, and changes in structure, have an impact on children’s health and wellbeing and the intergenerational transmission of inequity. The effects, however, vary by socio-economic context and ethnicity. Using longitudinal data from Growing Up in New Zealand (n = 1349), we examine family structure and change for tamariki Māori during early childhood, and the potential impacts on their development and wellbeing. We find that a stable two-parent family is the primary experience for tamariki Māori, and sole parenthood is transitory. Diverse family trajectories appear to be linked to poorer cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes but are not the main driver. More important are maternal factors, notably age and education, and material hardship. Importantly, higher levels of cultural connectedness among tamariki Māori, which are associated with diverse family forms, seem to promote socio-emotional development. Our study provides further incentive for policy and programmes that centre equity and support access to the determinants of health for tamariki Māori.

year: 2020