title: Commissioning genetic modification: The marginalisation of dissent in the royal commission on genetic modification

authors: Rogers-Hayden, Tee

abstract: The Royal Commission on Genetic Modification (RCGM) appeared to be a 'public debate'. It sought the participation of people from a cross-section of society according to its broad terms of reference, and invited input on 'options' for the nation. The majority of the public and special interest groups voiced their opposition to Genetic Engineering (GE). Despite this, the Commissioners proposed that Aotearoa New Zealand proceed with GE with 'caution'. (The recommendations included recommencing GE field trials and planning for releases of genetically modified organisms.) 
In this research I applied a multidimensional discourse analysis model to the RCGM to investigate if it was pre-determined in its findings. I analysed the social and historical context of the RCGM, its processes, and the consequential narratives in the texts produced by the environmentalists and the bioproponents who made submissions, and the documentation produced by the RCGM. 
I found that Enlightenment rationality, shaped the context of the Commission and, was reflected in the processes for 'Interested Persons' (the interest groups). This made it difficult for groups to articulate objections to GE that were based on non-scientific, holistic and alternative worldviews. Furthermore, I found that the RCGM's findings reflected the contestation of science evident in the debate between the environmental groups and the bioproponents. The creation of a utopian 'sustainability' discourse by the environmentalists, and their construction of this vision into a tenet called the precautionary principle, confronted the bioproponents' utopian vision of Progress guided by experts using neutral science. The bioproponents' response, to reject the precautionary principle and appropriate and redefine sustainability to mean sustaining Progress through GE, was mirrored in the RCGM' s findings. Thus, modernist rationality shaped the processes of the RCGM, restricting public participation and articulation of opposition to GE, ultimately pre-determining the RCGM in favour of GE.

text: Commissioning genetic modification: The marginalisation of dissent in the royal commission on genetic modification The Royal Commission on Genetic Modification (RCGM) appeared to be a 'public debate'. It sought the participation of people from a cross-section of society according to its broad terms of reference, and invited input on 'options' for the nation. The majority of the public and special interest groups voiced their opposition to Genetic Engineering (GE). Despite this, the Commissioners proposed that Aotearoa New Zealand proceed with GE with 'caution'. (The recommendations included recommencing GE field trials and planning for releases of genetically modified organisms.) 
In this research I applied a multidimensional discourse analysis model to the RCGM to investigate if it was pre-determined in its findings. I analysed the social and historical context of the RCGM, its processes, and the consequential narratives in the texts produced by the environmentalists and the bioproponents who made submissions, and the documentation produced by the RCGM. 
I found that Enlightenment rationality, shaped the context of the Commission and, was reflected in the processes for 'Interested Persons' (the interest groups). This made it difficult for groups to articulate objections to GE that were based on non-scientific, holistic and alternative worldviews. Furthermore, I found that the RCGM's findings reflected the contestation of science evident in the debate between the environmental groups and the bioproponents. The creation of a utopian 'sustainability' discourse by the environmentalists, and their construction of this vision into a tenet called the precautionary principle, confronted the bioproponents' utopian vision of Progress guided by experts using neutral science. The bioproponents' response, to reject the precautionary principle and appropriate and redefine sustainability to mean sustaining Progress through GE, was mirrored in the RCGM' s findings. Thus, modernist rationality shaped the processes of the RCGM, restricting public participation and articulation of opposition to GE, ultimately pre-determining the RCGM in favour of GE.

year: 2004

title: A multifaceted approach to understanding unexpected sound change. The bilabial trills of Vanuatu’s Malekula Island

authors: Rangelov, T

subjects: Austronesian

abstract: This paper demonstrates that unexpected sound changes are best explained by an approach that accounts for different motivations: phonetic, structural and social. Here, we focus on a multifaceted investigation of the crosslinguistically uncommon bilabial trills to show the complex interaction between different drivers of sound change. In this paper, we highlight and examine the prenasalized voiced bilabial trill mʙ and plain voiceless bilabial trill P [ʙ̥] found in a number of Oceanic languages spoken on Malekula Island in Vanuatu. We offer a comparative-historical analysis, and we identify the various forces that have led to the emergence and persistence of mʙ and P in Malekula languages: the historical articulatory environments, the particular make-up of the consonant inventories of these languages, complementary sound changes and phonological processes, contact with non-Austronesian languages, and in-group identity attachment. Furthermore, we offer a hypothesis for the relative timing of these factors on the historical pathway of Malekula’s bilabial trills.

text: A multifaceted approach to understanding unexpected sound change. The bilabial trills of Vanuatu’s Malekula Island This paper demonstrates that unexpected sound changes are best explained by an approach that accounts for different motivations: phonetic, structural and social. Here, we focus on a multifaceted investigation of the crosslinguistically uncommon bilabial trills to show the complex interaction between different drivers of sound change. In this paper, we highlight and examine the prenasalized voiced bilabial trill mʙ and plain voiceless bilabial trill P [ʙ̥] found in a number of Oceanic languages spoken on Malekula Island in Vanuatu. We offer a comparative-historical analysis, and we identify the various forces that have led to the emergence and persistence of mʙ and P in Malekula languages: the historical articulatory environments, the particular make-up of the consonant inventories of these languages, complementary sound changes and phonological processes, contact with non-Austronesian languages, and in-group identity attachment. Furthermore, we offer a hypothesis for the relative timing of these factors on the historical pathway of Malekula’s bilabial trills.

year: 2023-02-07

title: A new beginning for indigenous wellbeing - Guest editorial

authors: Nikora, Linda Waimarie

abstract: Three members of the editorial board of the Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing – Te Mauri: Pimatisiwin and the Editor reflect on the genesis of the journal, comment on its journey over time, review its mission moving forward and introduces the first edition of the journal August 2016. The authors of this article include the current editorial board’s chairperson, two board members – one a past editor of the journal, the other, the journal’s present patron and the current editor.

text: A new beginning for indigenous wellbeing - Guest editorial Three members of the editorial board of the Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing – Te Mauri: Pimatisiwin and the Editor reflect on the genesis of the journal, comment on its journey over time, review its mission moving forward and introduces the first edition of the journal August 2016. The authors of this article include the current editorial board’s chairperson, two board members – one a past editor of the journal, the other, the journal’s present patron and the current editor.

year: 2016