title: Definitions: Does disjunction mean dysfunction?

authors: Kingsbury, Justine

subjects: philosophy

abstract: Our concern in this paper is with definitions that are not conjunctive. In particular, our concern is with definitions of things of a kind K which allege that there is a bunch of conditions, each of which is sufficient, but not necessary, for bestowing K-hood. Definitions of this kind, call them “disjunctive,” are often proposed for kinds of things that interest us, but they usually draw fairly muted applause. Many treat them as provisional, to be endured, rather than celebrated. Surely, it is thought, they do not provide all one might want from a definition. Because of water, art and other cases which apparently problematise the boundary between practice-mandated and theoretically-posited kinds, there will doubtless continue to be disagreements about the credentials of disjunctive definitions. Even so, we think we have gone some way towards offering a reasonable justification for the on-going debates and some apparatus for formulating the issues.

text: Definitions: Does disjunction mean dysfunction? Our concern in this paper is with definitions that are not conjunctive. In particular, our concern is with definitions of things of a kind K which allege that there is a bunch of conditions, each of which is sufficient, but not necessary, for bestowing K-hood. Definitions of this kind, call them “disjunctive,” are often proposed for kinds of things that interest us, but they usually draw fairly muted applause. Many treat them as provisional, to be endured, rather than celebrated. Surely, it is thought, they do not provide all one might want from a definition. Because of water, art and other cases which apparently problematise the boundary between practice-mandated and theoretically-posited kinds, there will doubtless continue to be disagreements about the credentials of disjunctive definitions. Even so, we think we have gone some way towards offering a reasonable justification for the on-going debates and some apparatus for formulating the issues.

year: 2009

title: Posthumous documentary theatre: Re-presenting historical documentary material on stage

authors: Mooney, Miriam (Missy)

subjects: documentary theatre

abstract: A practice predicated upon the verbatim re-presentation of non-fiction documents, interviews, personal writings, and other historical source materials on stage, documentary theatre frequently claims to produce theatrical experiences that represent ‘reality’ and ‘truth’. Yet, the symbiosis of real-world source material and a dynamic dramaturgy can be an intricate balancing act, as the theatre maker is often faced with the challenge of how to best navigate the tension between accurately representing ‘the real’ on stage and producing a dynamic theatre experience.  

Much of the scholarship engaging with documentary theatre has addressed the complex ethical-political process of speaking for others and the risk of misrepresentation that comes with making a real person into a documentary character. Consequently, theatre makers often strive to not only represent their documentary subjects accurately but also aim to increase their agency in the documentary theatre process by facilitating opportunities for dialogue, connection, and collaboration. Yet what happens when the theatre maker is unable to communicate with their subjects or extend a collaborative hand? Posthumous Documentary Theatre: Re-presenting Historical Documentary Material on Stage addresses a gap in the documentary theatre discourse and explores how the potential ethical considerations associated with the form may be further complicated when the documentary subjects are no longer living.  

This research takes the form of a PhD with a creative practice component that involved the creation of What Remains: The Love and Letters of Vita Sackville-West & Harold Nicolson. An original documentary play constructed primarily from posthumously published letters and personal writings; What Remains enabled a practical exploration of how theatre makers' ethical considerations for their deceased documentary subjects might influence their dramaturgical processes. Synthesising critical reflection on that creative process with existing documentary theatre theories and practices, this thesis offers findings that aim to be practically useful to others navigating the intersecting ethical and dramaturgical demands of representing the dead on stage in documentary theatre.

text: Posthumous documentary theatre: Re-presenting historical documentary material on stage A practice predicated upon the verbatim re-presentation of non-fiction documents, interviews, personal writings, and other historical source materials on stage, documentary theatre frequently claims to produce theatrical experiences that represent ‘reality’ and ‘truth’. Yet, the symbiosis of real-world source material and a dynamic dramaturgy can be an intricate balancing act, as the theatre maker is often faced with the challenge of how to best navigate the tension between accurately representing ‘the real’ on stage and producing a dynamic theatre experience.  

Much of the scholarship engaging with documentary theatre has addressed the complex ethical-political process of speaking for others and the risk of misrepresentation that comes with making a real person into a documentary character. Consequently, theatre makers often strive to not only represent their documentary subjects accurately but also aim to increase their agency in the documentary theatre process by facilitating opportunities for dialogue, connection, and collaboration. Yet what happens when the theatre maker is unable to communicate with their subjects or extend a collaborative hand? Posthumous Documentary Theatre: Re-presenting Historical Documentary Material on Stage addresses a gap in the documentary theatre discourse and explores how the potential ethical considerations associated with the form may be further complicated when the documentary subjects are no longer living.  

This research takes the form of a PhD with a creative practice component that involved the creation of What Remains: The Love and Letters of Vita Sackville-West & Harold Nicolson. An original documentary play constructed primarily from posthumously published letters and personal writings; What Remains enabled a practical exploration of how theatre makers' ethical considerations for their deceased documentary subjects might influence their dramaturgical processes. Synthesising critical reflection on that creative process with existing documentary theatre theories and practices, this thesis offers findings that aim to be practically useful to others navigating the intersecting ethical and dramaturgical demands of representing the dead on stage in documentary theatre.

year: 2024

title: Ethnic disparities in breast cancer survival in New Zealand: which factors contribute?

authors: Tin Tin, Sandar

subjects: Breast cancer

abstract: Background: New Zealand has major ethnic disparities in breast cancer survival with Maori (indigenous people) and Pacific women (immigrants or descended from immigrants from Pacific Islands) faring much worse than other ethnic groups. This paper identified underlying factors and assessed their relative contribution to this risk differential. 
Methods: This study involved all women who were diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer in two health regions, covering about 40% of the national population, between January 2000 and June 2014. Maori and Pacific patients were compared with other ethnic groups in terms of demographics, mode of diagnosis, disease factors and treatment factors. Cox regression modelling was performed with stepwise adjustments, and hazards of excess mortality from breast cancer for Maori and Pacific patients were assessed. 
Results: Of the 13,657 patients who were included in this analysis, 1281 (9.4%) were Maori, and 897 (6.6%) were Pacific women. Compared to other ethnic groups, they were younger, more likely to reside in deprived neighbourhoods and to have co-morbidities, and less likely to be diagnosed through screening and with early stage cancer, to be treated in a private care facility, to receive timely cancer treatment, and to receive breast conserving surgery. They had a higher risk of excess mortality from breast cancer (age and year of diagnosis adjusted hazard ratio: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.51-2.04 for Maori and 1.97; 95% CI: 1.67-2.32 for Pacific women), of which 75% and 99% respectively were explained by baseline differences. The most important contributor was late stage at diagnosis. Other contributors included neighbourhood deprivation, mode of diagnosis, type of health care facility where primary cancer treatment was undertaken and type of loco-regional therapy. 
Conclusions: Late diagnosis, deprivation and differential access to and quality of cancer care services were the key contributors to ethnic disparities in breast cancer survival in New Zealand. Our findings underscore the need for a greater equity focus along the breast cancer care pathway, with an emphasis on improving access to early diagnosis for Maori and Pacific women.

text: Ethnic disparities in breast cancer survival in New Zealand: which factors contribute? Background: New Zealand has major ethnic disparities in breast cancer survival with Maori (indigenous people) and Pacific women (immigrants or descended from immigrants from Pacific Islands) faring much worse than other ethnic groups. This paper identified underlying factors and assessed their relative contribution to this risk differential. 
Methods: This study involved all women who were diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer in two health regions, covering about 40% of the national population, between January 2000 and June 2014. Maori and Pacific patients were compared with other ethnic groups in terms of demographics, mode of diagnosis, disease factors and treatment factors. Cox regression modelling was performed with stepwise adjustments, and hazards of excess mortality from breast cancer for Maori and Pacific patients were assessed. 
Results: Of the 13,657 patients who were included in this analysis, 1281 (9.4%) were Maori, and 897 (6.6%) were Pacific women. Compared to other ethnic groups, they were younger, more likely to reside in deprived neighbourhoods and to have co-morbidities, and less likely to be diagnosed through screening and with early stage cancer, to be treated in a private care facility, to receive timely cancer treatment, and to receive breast conserving surgery. They had a higher risk of excess mortality from breast cancer (age and year of diagnosis adjusted hazard ratio: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.51-2.04 for Maori and 1.97; 95% CI: 1.67-2.32 for Pacific women), of which 75% and 99% respectively were explained by baseline differences. The most important contributor was late stage at diagnosis. Other contributors included neighbourhood deprivation, mode of diagnosis, type of health care facility where primary cancer treatment was undertaken and type of loco-regional therapy. 
Conclusions: Late diagnosis, deprivation and differential access to and quality of cancer care services were the key contributors to ethnic disparities in breast cancer survival in New Zealand. Our findings underscore the need for a greater equity focus along the breast cancer care pathway, with an emphasis on improving access to early diagnosis for Maori and Pacific women.

year: 2018