title: Barriers and supports to the access of justice as experienced by Pasifika women impacted by domestic violence

authors: Gosche, Jessica

subjects: Pasifika

abstract: Domestic violence is a pervasive social issue in New Zealand with the majority of victims being women and children. 45-60% of Pasifika women are likely to experience violence in their lifetime. Despite the prevalence of domestic violence in Pasifika communities, Pasifika women have low rates of accessing services available to assist them to navigate themselves and their children to safety. My research is focused on identifying the barriers and supports as experienced by Pasifika women when attempting to access protection from their abusers and external agency support to deal with the impacts of abuse. Some identified barriers to accessing justice include lengthy court processes, lack of systemic knowledge, language difficulties, lack of knowledge about cultural differences and domestic violence by front line staff, religious values regarding marriage and the role of women and finding physical environments to be an alienating environment. Through a qualitative research frame, I have explored the impact that domestic violence has on Pasifika women. Interviews with two key informants have assisted me with identifying barriers and supports from a professional perspective. A case study approach with five Pasifika women has provided detailed accounts of their experiences as service users. Given the paucity of research on Pasifika women’s experiences, let alone conducted by a Pasifika woman, my research will contribute new insights with a view towards improving service delivery in the state sector and non-governmental services, ultimately ensuring the victim’s safety is paramount without further compromising identity and wellbeing.

text: Barriers and supports to the access of justice as experienced by Pasifika women impacted by domestic violence Domestic violence is a pervasive social issue in New Zealand with the majority of victims being women and children. 45-60% of Pasifika women are likely to experience violence in their lifetime. Despite the prevalence of domestic violence in Pasifika communities, Pasifika women have low rates of accessing services available to assist them to navigate themselves and their children to safety. My research is focused on identifying the barriers and supports as experienced by Pasifika women when attempting to access protection from their abusers and external agency support to deal with the impacts of abuse. Some identified barriers to accessing justice include lengthy court processes, lack of systemic knowledge, language difficulties, lack of knowledge about cultural differences and domestic violence by front line staff, religious values regarding marriage and the role of women and finding physical environments to be an alienating environment. Through a qualitative research frame, I have explored the impact that domestic violence has on Pasifika women. Interviews with two key informants have assisted me with identifying barriers and supports from a professional perspective. A case study approach with five Pasifika women has provided detailed accounts of their experiences as service users. Given the paucity of research on Pasifika women’s experiences, let alone conducted by a Pasifika woman, my research will contribute new insights with a view towards improving service delivery in the state sector and non-governmental services, ultimately ensuring the victim’s safety is paramount without further compromising identity and wellbeing.

year: 2017

title: The sleep cycle modelled as a cortical phase transition

authors: Steyn-Ross, D. Alistair

subjects: cortical model

abstract: We present a mean-field model of the cortex that attempts to describe the gross changes in brain electrical activity for the cycles of natural sleep. We incorporate within the model two major sleep modulatory effects: slow changes in both synaptic efficiency and in neuron resting voltage caused by the ∼90-min cycling in acetylcholine, together with even slower changes in resting voltage caused by gradual elimination during sleep of somnogens (fatigue agents) such as adenosine. We argue that the change from slow-wave sleep (SWS) to rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep can be understood as a first-order phase transition from a low-firing, coherent state to a high-firing, desychronized cortical state. We show that the model predictions for changes in EEG power, spectral distribution, and correlation time at the SWS-to-REM transition are consistent not only with those observed in clinical recordings of a sleeping human subject, but also with the on-cortex EEG patterns recently reported by Destexhe et al. [J. Neurosci. 19(11), (1999) 4595–4608] for the sleeping cat.

text: The sleep cycle modelled as a cortical phase transition We present a mean-field model of the cortex that attempts to describe the gross changes in brain electrical activity for the cycles of natural sleep. We incorporate within the model two major sleep modulatory effects: slow changes in both synaptic efficiency and in neuron resting voltage caused by the ∼90-min cycling in acetylcholine, together with even slower changes in resting voltage caused by gradual elimination during sleep of somnogens (fatigue agents) such as adenosine. We argue that the change from slow-wave sleep (SWS) to rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep can be understood as a first-order phase transition from a low-firing, coherent state to a high-firing, desychronized cortical state. We show that the model predictions for changes in EEG power, spectral distribution, and correlation time at the SWS-to-REM transition are consistent not only with those observed in clinical recordings of a sleeping human subject, but also with the on-cortex EEG patterns recently reported by Destexhe et al. [J. Neurosci. 19(11), (1999) 4595–4608] for the sleeping cat.

year: 2005-12

title: In service provision for teachers of Maori language and teachers who teach through the medium of Maori: A working model reviewed

authors: Johnson, Diane

subjects: te reo Māori

abstract: This paper reports on the design, administration and effectiveness of an in-service programme designed by the University of Waikato in partnership with the New Zealand Ministry of Education. The programme aims to: improve language proficiency; assist with the interpretation and implementation of Māori curriculum statements; address issues involved in teaching Māori and teaching through the medium of Māori; assist with lesson planning and lesson delivery, materials development and testing and assessment.

text: In service provision for teachers of Maori language and teachers who teach through the medium of Maori: A working model reviewed This paper reports on the design, administration and effectiveness of an in-service programme designed by the University of Waikato in partnership with the New Zealand Ministry of Education. The programme aims to: improve language proficiency; assist with the interpretation and implementation of Māori curriculum statements; address issues involved in teaching Māori and teaching through the medium of Māori; assist with lesson planning and lesson delivery, materials development and testing and assessment.

year: 2001-02