title: ‘Against the grain’: over 75 years and joining a community exercise programme

authors: Grant, Bevan C.

subjects: ageing

abstract: This study explores the meanings that 22 men over 75 years attributed to their experience when joining a community exercise programme. Information gathered via interviews was analysed by inductive analysis. Four dominant themes emerged and these provide a framework for representing the findings. All men believed a physical active lifestyle was desirable for well-being and quality of life, although engagement at various levels is strongly influenced by the social construction of ageing and one’s personal history. Being physically active via a programme in later life is as much an embodied as a technical endeavour. It is also as much biographical as biological, and for ongoing engagement exercise must be deemed purposeful to self, irrespective of whether or not what occurs is in accordance with the scientific script prescribed for optimal health. Just being ‘older’ poses a variety of challenges to adopting a physically active lifestyle in the later years, something the men in this study imply needs to be better understood.

text: ‘Against the grain’: over 75 years and joining a community exercise programme This study explores the meanings that 22 men over 75 years attributed to their experience when joining a community exercise programme. Information gathered via interviews was analysed by inductive analysis. Four dominant themes emerged and these provide a framework for representing the findings. All men believed a physical active lifestyle was desirable for well-being and quality of life, although engagement at various levels is strongly influenced by the social construction of ageing and one’s personal history. Being physically active via a programme in later life is as much an embodied as a technical endeavour. It is also as much biographical as biological, and for ongoing engagement exercise must be deemed purposeful to self, irrespective of whether or not what occurs is in accordance with the scientific script prescribed for optimal health. Just being ‘older’ poses a variety of challenges to adopting a physically active lifestyle in the later years, something the men in this study imply needs to be better understood.

year: 2012

title: Women’s lives in the Te Aroha district

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: Pioneer women were praised for their hard work, and this paper deals with all aspects of their lives in this district in the late nineteenth and, occasionally, the early twentieth century. Details are provided of all the women who held shares in local mines, not all of whom lived in the district and some of whom were probably dummies for their husbands. Some women had paid work, sometimes out of necessity rather than a desire to be independent, and they struggled to become financially secure on low wages. Servants were not always well treated by the women who employed them.
Women’s lot included a variety of unpaid work and endless domestic duties. Some were fortunate enough to have money of their own, and sometimes held their husbands’ property in their own name, usually to protect it against his creditors. Land was also held in women’s names, usually to enable the family to hold more sections than the law permitted. Because of poverty, some women were forced to seek charitable aid.
Many women were active in community life in a variety of ways, notably their churches, charity, nursing, and temperance. Younger ones enjoyed the outdoors and sports. Competition for popularity (and for a mate) meant a considerable amount of time was spent in trying to look their best and in displaying their finery at the many socials held in the district. 
Some women got into trouble for improper behaviour, notably drunkenness and even violence, but most of the female crime recorded was minor. Sexual misbehaviour included illegitimate children (some of whom had a short life) and abortion. Some wives were deserted, but some women were able to remarry. At the end of this paper, there are accounts of several women’s lives, some of them unhappy– unhappiness being more easily uncovered because of the sources available for historians.

text: Women’s lives in the Te Aroha district Pioneer women were praised for their hard work, and this paper deals with all aspects of their lives in this district in the late nineteenth and, occasionally, the early twentieth century. Details are provided of all the women who held shares in local mines, not all of whom lived in the district and some of whom were probably dummies for their husbands. Some women had paid work, sometimes out of necessity rather than a desire to be independent, and they struggled to become financially secure on low wages. Servants were not always well treated by the women who employed them.
Women’s lot included a variety of unpaid work and endless domestic duties. Some were fortunate enough to have money of their own, and sometimes held their husbands’ property in their own name, usually to protect it against his creditors. Land was also held in women’s names, usually to enable the family to hold more sections than the law permitted. Because of poverty, some women were forced to seek charitable aid.
Many women were active in community life in a variety of ways, notably their churches, charity, nursing, and temperance. Younger ones enjoyed the outdoors and sports. Competition for popularity (and for a mate) meant a considerable amount of time was spent in trying to look their best and in displaying their finery at the many socials held in the district. 
Some women got into trouble for improper behaviour, notably drunkenness and even violence, but most of the female crime recorded was minor. Sexual misbehaviour included illegitimate children (some of whom had a short life) and abortion. Some wives were deserted, but some women were able to remarry. At the end of this paper, there are accounts of several women’s lives, some of them unhappy– unhappiness being more easily uncovered because of the sources available for historians.

year: 2016

title: A community psychology-based evaluation of the you good? You Good! program delivered by Jade speaks up educational trust in Aotearoa. Empowering tamariki emotional literacy, supporting mental health and encouraging well-being.

authors: Webbon, Abigail

abstract: This evaluation was completed for Jade Speaks Up (JSU) Educational Trust to provide feedback from school teachers and whānau who were involved in the You Good? You Good! (YG?YG!) program, delivered by JSU Educational Trust to schools across Aotearoa. The evaluation goal was to collate the narratives of participating school staff, whānau, and JSU Educational Trust trainers, contrasting experiences and perspectives to determine program effectiveness.
This program is for schools, management, and teachers who work with tamariki, to help teachers and students understand anxiety and develop skills and strategies to have self-agency. JSU Educational Trust developed YG?YG! in 2021, and in 2022 the YG?YG! pilot program was implemented.
This evaluation had three research objectives: 1) Identify and collate the experiences of school staff and other key stakeholders when implementing the YG?YG!, 2) Identify the strengths and barriers to inclusion for tamariki in schools where the program was delivered, and 3) Draw on the stakeholder narratives to assess the program's ability to achieve its goal: enable tamariki to be more agentic in responding to early signs of anxiety in themselves and others.
Information for this evaluation was collected from four sources: 1) Focus groups with JSU trainers, 2) Interviews with school staff, 3) Online surveys with school staff, 4) Archival supervision, and 5) Literature review. Data collected was interpreted through the use of thematic analysis, informed by Community Psychology principles, and the “Six C” framework, guided by He Awa Whiria.
Thematic analysis was completed by coding themes and categories from data sources. The findings from this empirical research engagement informed the analysis and discussion on program effectiveness. 
The findings and analysis found that forming a program design and approach informed with respect for the community’s needs and world-views can enable recognition, awareness and inclusion. A way for the program to begin to do so is to collaborate with communities.
Including researchers from a local community can enable empowerment, build social power, and create responses that promote the needs of the involved communities. The program can champion the field and those they work with by being accountable and enabling transparency.
The program can take an inclusive approach to sustaining its relationships, content relevance, and development for tamariki emotional well-being. The program can work on cultivating and empowering participants to be active partners, enabling the program to be shaped with equity in mind.
Key to program efficacy is acknowledging change and encompassing adaptation. The way to do this is to consider local health issues driven by who experience them, elevating the voice of the community.
Change and need cannot be determined without considering the voice of involved communities. By taking participants feedback, the program can create change for tamariki mental health, whilst acknowledging system and structural barriers, striving for community competence.
Importance lies within the work the program does to enable and support those affected by external factors. The program can acknowledge these challenges, and provide hope that community competence can be achieved.
To conclude, recommendations are presented for JSU Educational Trust to consider.

text: A community psychology-based evaluation of the you good? You Good! program delivered by Jade speaks up educational trust in Aotearoa. Empowering tamariki emotional literacy, supporting mental health and encouraging well-being. This evaluation was completed for Jade Speaks Up (JSU) Educational Trust to provide feedback from school teachers and whānau who were involved in the You Good? You Good! (YG?YG!) program, delivered by JSU Educational Trust to schools across Aotearoa. The evaluation goal was to collate the narratives of participating school staff, whānau, and JSU Educational Trust trainers, contrasting experiences and perspectives to determine program effectiveness.
This program is for schools, management, and teachers who work with tamariki, to help teachers and students understand anxiety and develop skills and strategies to have self-agency. JSU Educational Trust developed YG?YG! in 2021, and in 2022 the YG?YG! pilot program was implemented.
This evaluation had three research objectives: 1) Identify and collate the experiences of school staff and other key stakeholders when implementing the YG?YG!, 2) Identify the strengths and barriers to inclusion for tamariki in schools where the program was delivered, and 3) Draw on the stakeholder narratives to assess the program's ability to achieve its goal: enable tamariki to be more agentic in responding to early signs of anxiety in themselves and others.
Information for this evaluation was collected from four sources: 1) Focus groups with JSU trainers, 2) Interviews with school staff, 3) Online surveys with school staff, 4) Archival supervision, and 5) Literature review. Data collected was interpreted through the use of thematic analysis, informed by Community Psychology principles, and the “Six C” framework, guided by He Awa Whiria.
Thematic analysis was completed by coding themes and categories from data sources. The findings from this empirical research engagement informed the analysis and discussion on program effectiveness. 
The findings and analysis found that forming a program design and approach informed with respect for the community’s needs and world-views can enable recognition, awareness and inclusion. A way for the program to begin to do so is to collaborate with communities.
Including researchers from a local community can enable empowerment, build social power, and create responses that promote the needs of the involved communities. The program can champion the field and those they work with by being accountable and enabling transparency.
The program can take an inclusive approach to sustaining its relationships, content relevance, and development for tamariki emotional well-being. The program can work on cultivating and empowering participants to be active partners, enabling the program to be shaped with equity in mind.
Key to program efficacy is acknowledging change and encompassing adaptation. The way to do this is to consider local health issues driven by who experience them, elevating the voice of the community.
Change and need cannot be determined without considering the voice of involved communities. By taking participants feedback, the program can create change for tamariki mental health, whilst acknowledging system and structural barriers, striving for community competence.
Importance lies within the work the program does to enable and support those affected by external factors. The program can acknowledge these challenges, and provide hope that community competence can be achieved.
To conclude, recommendations are presented for JSU Educational Trust to consider.

year: 2024-11-14