title: Secondary School Students' Conceptions of Sustainability

authors: Haines, Elizabeth Anne

subjects: sustainability

abstract: Sustainability is a word that is frequently used and often without the understanding that it warrants.  An understanding of sustainability is vital today as people need to adopt strategies to cope with issues caused by environmental degradation, social inequity and economic disparity.   Education for sustainability has gained momentum after calls by international bodies to provide a vehicle for change to prioritise sustainability and integrate sustainable development at all levels of education.   This thesis investigates what secondary school students understand about the complex concept of sustainability.    It explores students’ conceptions of sustainability, their views about sustainability issues and the relationship between the students’ conceptions and their views about sustainability issues. 
 
This research used a mixed method approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data from questionnaires and follow up focus group interviews.  Open and closed questions were used to investigate students’ conceptions of sustainability and these were compared to conceptions of sustainability that educators and scholars regard as important for citizens to hold for a sustainable future.  Students’ views about sustainability issues were explored using modification of semantic differentials that were directly related to principles of sustainability that had been drawn from the literature.   Data gathered were analysed using a thematic approach and simple statistical tests. 
 
Findings showed that students in this study had some understanding of sustainability.  A minority of students held simple, one dimensional conceptions of sustainability but a significant number of students held conceptions that were more complex and multi-dimensional in nature.  There were no students who held the expert conceptions of sustainability that scholars and educators regard as important, where environmental, economic, cultural, social and political conceptions are interrelated within an inter-generational setting.   Findings also showed that students’ views of sustainability issues, determined from a series of differential statements, indicated that the majority of students agreed or strongly agreed with the sustainable view for most of the environmental, economic, cultural, social, political and inter-generational sustainability issues presented to them.  Comparison of these findings indicated that a student who held a more complex conception of sustainability, and was able to identify a number of conceptions of sustainability, is more likely to make a sustainable choice on an issue if given the opportunity.  These findings are encouraging but, because of the importance of sustainability, they suggest a need to further develop students’ understandings of this complex concept.

text: Secondary School Students' Conceptions of Sustainability Sustainability is a word that is frequently used and often without the understanding that it warrants.  An understanding of sustainability is vital today as people need to adopt strategies to cope with issues caused by environmental degradation, social inequity and economic disparity.   Education for sustainability has gained momentum after calls by international bodies to provide a vehicle for change to prioritise sustainability and integrate sustainable development at all levels of education.   This thesis investigates what secondary school students understand about the complex concept of sustainability.    It explores students’ conceptions of sustainability, their views about sustainability issues and the relationship between the students’ conceptions and their views about sustainability issues. 
 
This research used a mixed method approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data from questionnaires and follow up focus group interviews.  Open and closed questions were used to investigate students’ conceptions of sustainability and these were compared to conceptions of sustainability that educators and scholars regard as important for citizens to hold for a sustainable future.  Students’ views about sustainability issues were explored using modification of semantic differentials that were directly related to principles of sustainability that had been drawn from the literature.   Data gathered were analysed using a thematic approach and simple statistical tests. 
 
Findings showed that students in this study had some understanding of sustainability.  A minority of students held simple, one dimensional conceptions of sustainability but a significant number of students held conceptions that were more complex and multi-dimensional in nature.  There were no students who held the expert conceptions of sustainability that scholars and educators regard as important, where environmental, economic, cultural, social and political conceptions are interrelated within an inter-generational setting.   Findings also showed that students’ views of sustainability issues, determined from a series of differential statements, indicated that the majority of students agreed or strongly agreed with the sustainable view for most of the environmental, economic, cultural, social, political and inter-generational sustainability issues presented to them.  Comparison of these findings indicated that a student who held a more complex conception of sustainability, and was able to identify a number of conceptions of sustainability, is more likely to make a sustainable choice on an issue if given the opportunity.  These findings are encouraging but, because of the importance of sustainability, they suggest a need to further develop students’ understandings of this complex concept.

year: 2014

title: Social relations and class divisions in the Te Aroha district

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: Although the nature of mining encouraged mateship amongst miners, this ideal was weakened as companies increasingly dominated mining districts. As miners liked to work for themselves to obtain the highest possible financial return and the more proficient ones became managers, should they be regarded as working class or as middle class? But although there were class distinctions, blatant divisions and delusions of grandeur were discouraged, and mining fields displayed at worst a superficial egalitarianism and at best genuine social unity on at least some occasions and issues. 
Te Aroha, unlike Waiorongomai, was not a typical mining township because of the residents’ close involvement with farmers and tourists, mingling with the latter in the hot pools and when they visited the goldfield. Examples are given of tourists being actively involved in the social life of Te Aroha.  Class divisions increased as mining faded, as illustrated by the clothing and jewellery sported by the ‘upper ten’ of Te Aroha compared with their poorer neighbours, a contrast also apparent at the more lower-class settlement of Waiorongomai. But despite sartorial distinctions, all sections of Pakeha society mingled at dances, concerts, entertainments, church, and sport; some Maori participated also, especially in rugby, but remained basically separated from the new society that had taken over their district. 
Although some younger residents may have admired the antics of ‘new chums’ and remittance men playing at being miners and generally enlivening social life, those who understood that a new field required serious miners disapproved of those who treated mining as a game. Some highly respectable people were on friendly terms with other residents, and some workers with pretensions liked to describe themselves as ‘gentlemen’, but such snobs were liable to be deflated by those who did not regard them as their betters. As was usual, the less respectable people at the bottom of the social scale were looked down upon.
There was general resistance to a ‘clique’ of elite members of the community attempting to control the latter and, in particular, the mines for their own benefit. In elections for local bodies, some men stood explicitly as representatives of working men. But all involved in the industry, whether miners, managers, owners, or investors, were united in trying to uphold its interests.

text: Social relations and class divisions in the Te Aroha district Although the nature of mining encouraged mateship amongst miners, this ideal was weakened as companies increasingly dominated mining districts. As miners liked to work for themselves to obtain the highest possible financial return and the more proficient ones became managers, should they be regarded as working class or as middle class? But although there were class distinctions, blatant divisions and delusions of grandeur were discouraged, and mining fields displayed at worst a superficial egalitarianism and at best genuine social unity on at least some occasions and issues. 
Te Aroha, unlike Waiorongomai, was not a typical mining township because of the residents’ close involvement with farmers and tourists, mingling with the latter in the hot pools and when they visited the goldfield. Examples are given of tourists being actively involved in the social life of Te Aroha.  Class divisions increased as mining faded, as illustrated by the clothing and jewellery sported by the ‘upper ten’ of Te Aroha compared with their poorer neighbours, a contrast also apparent at the more lower-class settlement of Waiorongomai. But despite sartorial distinctions, all sections of Pakeha society mingled at dances, concerts, entertainments, church, and sport; some Maori participated also, especially in rugby, but remained basically separated from the new society that had taken over their district. 
Although some younger residents may have admired the antics of ‘new chums’ and remittance men playing at being miners and generally enlivening social life, those who understood that a new field required serious miners disapproved of those who treated mining as a game. Some highly respectable people were on friendly terms with other residents, and some workers with pretensions liked to describe themselves as ‘gentlemen’, but such snobs were liable to be deflated by those who did not regard them as their betters. As was usual, the less respectable people at the bottom of the social scale were looked down upon.
There was general resistance to a ‘clique’ of elite members of the community attempting to control the latter and, in particular, the mines for their own benefit. In elections for local bodies, some men stood explicitly as representatives of working men. But all involved in the industry, whether miners, managers, owners, or investors, were united in trying to uphold its interests.

year: 2016

title: Mokopuna rising: Developing a best practice for early intervention in whanau violence

authors: Cooper, Erana

subjects: Maori

abstract: In a very difficult meeting, an extremely unpleasant man was concerned about the possible loss of his power and the continuation of his plans and dreams for the future. And I said, yeah well, you should be worried, because according to your philosophy, when you’re dead, you’re dead. But when I’m dead, my mokopuna will be rising. (Personal Communication, Rob Cooper, 2007) 
“Mokopuna Rising” is about claiming space for Maori to define best practice for reducing and avoiding whanau violence1 It is research in progress towards a PhD, being carried out with the Ngati Hine Health Trust, in Te Taitokerau (Northland).

text: Mokopuna rising: Developing a best practice for early intervention in whanau violence In a very difficult meeting, an extremely unpleasant man was concerned about the possible loss of his power and the continuation of his plans and dreams for the future. And I said, yeah well, you should be worried, because according to your philosophy, when you’re dead, you’re dead. But when I’m dead, my mokopuna will be rising. (Personal Communication, Rob Cooper, 2007) 
“Mokopuna Rising” is about claiming space for Maori to define best practice for reducing and avoiding whanau violence1 It is research in progress towards a PhD, being carried out with the Ngati Hine Health Trust, in Te Taitokerau (Northland).

year: 2008