title: Making Sense of the Census: Classifying and Counting Ethnicity in Oceania, 1965-2011

authors: Broman, Patrick David

subjects: Ethnicity

abstract: As the flagship government effort to count and classify its population, censuses are a key site for rendering and making visible group boundaries. Despite claims to objective rationality, however, census taking is a political and inherently subjective exercise. Censuses help shape the very categories they claim to capture: censuses do more than reflect social reality, they also participate in the social construction of this reality (Kertzer and Arel, 2002b, p. 2). While ethnicity – as a social construct – is imagined, its effects are far from imaginary, and census categorisations may have significant material consequences for the lives of citizens.

Although an increasing number of studies have examined how and why governments in particular times or places count their populations by ethnicity, studies that are both cross-national and longitudinal are rare. Attempting to in part bridge this gap, this thesis studies census questionnaires from 1965 to 2011 for 24 countries in Oceania. In doing so, it explores three general questions: 1) how ethnicity is conceptualised and categorised in Oceanic censuses over time; 2) the relationship between ethnic counting in territories to that of their metropoles; and 3) Oceanic approaches towards multiple ethnic identities. Spread over an area of thirty million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean, Oceania provides an interesting context to study ethnic counting. The countries and territories which make up the region present an enormous diversity in physical geography and culture, languages and social organization, size and resource endowment. As the last region in the world to decolonise, Oceania includes a mix of dependencies and sovereign states.

The study finds that engagement with ethnic classification and counting is near-ubiquitous across the time period, with most countries having done so in all five cross-sectional census rounds. In general terms, in ethnic census questions ‘racial’ terminology of race and ancestry has been displaced over the focal period by ‘ethnic’ terminology of ethnicity and ethnic origin. Overall, the concept of ethnic origins predominates, although interestingly it is paired with race in the US territories, reflecting the ongoing social and political salience of race in the metropole. With respect to ethnic categories provided on census forms (and thus imbued with the legitimacy of explicit state recognition) the study finds a shift away from the imagined and flawed Melanesian/Micronesian/ Polynesian racial typology and other colonial impositions to more localised and self-identified Pacific identities. It is theorised that these shifts are emblematic of broader global changes in the impetuses for ethnic counting, from colonially-influenced ‘top down’ counting serving exclusionary ends to more inclusive, ‘bottom up’ approaches motivated by concerns for minority rights and inclusive policy-making.

text: Making Sense of the Census: Classifying and Counting Ethnicity in Oceania, 1965-2011 As the flagship government effort to count and classify its population, censuses are a key site for rendering and making visible group boundaries. Despite claims to objective rationality, however, census taking is a political and inherently subjective exercise. Censuses help shape the very categories they claim to capture: censuses do more than reflect social reality, they also participate in the social construction of this reality (Kertzer and Arel, 2002b, p. 2). While ethnicity – as a social construct – is imagined, its effects are far from imaginary, and census categorisations may have significant material consequences for the lives of citizens.

Although an increasing number of studies have examined how and why governments in particular times or places count their populations by ethnicity, studies that are both cross-national and longitudinal are rare. Attempting to in part bridge this gap, this thesis studies census questionnaires from 1965 to 2011 for 24 countries in Oceania. In doing so, it explores three general questions: 1) how ethnicity is conceptualised and categorised in Oceanic censuses over time; 2) the relationship between ethnic counting in territories to that of their metropoles; and 3) Oceanic approaches towards multiple ethnic identities. Spread over an area of thirty million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean, Oceania provides an interesting context to study ethnic counting. The countries and territories which make up the region present an enormous diversity in physical geography and culture, languages and social organization, size and resource endowment. As the last region in the world to decolonise, Oceania includes a mix of dependencies and sovereign states.

The study finds that engagement with ethnic classification and counting is near-ubiquitous across the time period, with most countries having done so in all five cross-sectional census rounds. In general terms, in ethnic census questions ‘racial’ terminology of race and ancestry has been displaced over the focal period by ‘ethnic’ terminology of ethnicity and ethnic origin. Overall, the concept of ethnic origins predominates, although interestingly it is paired with race in the US territories, reflecting the ongoing social and political salience of race in the metropole. With respect to ethnic categories provided on census forms (and thus imbued with the legitimacy of explicit state recognition) the study finds a shift away from the imagined and flawed Melanesian/Micronesian/ Polynesian racial typology and other colonial impositions to more localised and self-identified Pacific identities. It is theorised that these shifts are emblematic of broader global changes in the impetuses for ethnic counting, from colonially-influenced ‘top down’ counting serving exclusionary ends to more inclusive, ‘bottom up’ approaches motivated by concerns for minority rights and inclusive policy-making.

year: 2013

title: Assessing equine preference for food versus human contact: A replication

authors: Moss, Charlotte Jane

subjects: Behaviour

abstract: Horses have been trained through negative reinforcement for centuries. However, as studies show that positive reinforcement is an effective training technique for horses, it is important to discover what a horse finds rewarding. Food is the most-used positive reinforcer, but food is difficult to administer while riding a horse. I undertook a modified replication of Kieson et al. (2020) to investigate how rewarding horses find human contact compared to food. Eight horses were taught to touch a symbol (X for food and O for scratches) to access the reinforcer associated with the symbol. The number of touches on each symbol were counted and recorded. In the final preference assessment, the number of touches on each symbol were compared. All horses preferred a food reinforcer. A progressive ratio task was also performed by seven horses, where the schedule of reinforcement for the horses’ preferred reinforcer was thinned and the non-preferred reinforcer was offered on a FR1. Most of the horses continued to touch the preferred reinforcer at increasing response requirements, with one horse switching to their less-preferred option at FR3. Overall, the replication supported the original results in that the horses showed a preference for food over human contact. For most horses, this remained the case even when the reinforcer was thinned.

text: Assessing equine preference for food versus human contact: A replication Horses have been trained through negative reinforcement for centuries. However, as studies show that positive reinforcement is an effective training technique for horses, it is important to discover what a horse finds rewarding. Food is the most-used positive reinforcer, but food is difficult to administer while riding a horse. I undertook a modified replication of Kieson et al. (2020) to investigate how rewarding horses find human contact compared to food. Eight horses were taught to touch a symbol (X for food and O for scratches) to access the reinforcer associated with the symbol. The number of touches on each symbol were counted and recorded. In the final preference assessment, the number of touches on each symbol were compared. All horses preferred a food reinforcer. A progressive ratio task was also performed by seven horses, where the schedule of reinforcement for the horses’ preferred reinforcer was thinned and the non-preferred reinforcer was offered on a FR1. Most of the horses continued to touch the preferred reinforcer at increasing response requirements, with one horse switching to their less-preferred option at FR3. Overall, the replication supported the original results in that the horses showed a preference for food over human contact. For most horses, this remained the case even when the reinforcer was thinned.

year: 2022

title: Ngā wāhine ariki tapairu o Te Arawa: Te Kuraimonoa, Kearoa, Whakaotirangi

authors: Retikaukau, Georgia-Louise

subjects: Te Arawa

abstract: Similar to many other iwi (tribes) in Aotearoa, the Arawa people have a rich ancestral heritage that traces back to our origins in Hawaiki through our esteemed canoe traditions. However, within these narratives, the prominence of our heroic male ancestors tends to overshadow the stories of their wives, who are often mentioned merely as secondary characters. Te Kuraimonoa, Kearoa, and Whakaotirangi represent the first three women to be named in Te Arawa traditions, yet their narratives remain vague, existing only from a male perspective. Although their names can be found scattered throughout European and Māori literature, their stories are fragmented and incomplete, varying from tribe to tribe.

The objective of this research is to delve into these three ancestresses' lives from a Te Arawa female perspective, aiming to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding. Employing a mixed-method research approach, this study will investigate Māori and European literature, supplemented by thematical analysis to study and compare data gathered from interviews with female Te Arawa descendants. The insights gained from this endeavour will contribute to the creation of substantial knowledge that can benefit both present and future generations.

Comprising of seven chapters, this thesis unfolds as follows: Chapter one introduces the research purpose and provides an overview of the subsequent chapters. Chapter two outlines the research methodology employed. Chapter three presents an in-depth exploration of Te Arawa iwi, elucidating their significance and cultural context. Chapter four encompasses a comprehensive literature review, while chapter five is solely dedicated to the insights derived from the interview dialogues. Chapter six delves into the findings and engages in detailed discussions, offering a comprehensive analysis. Lastly, chapter seven serves as the conclusion, summarizing the key findings and their implications.

text: Ngā wāhine ariki tapairu o Te Arawa: Te Kuraimonoa, Kearoa, Whakaotirangi Similar to many other iwi (tribes) in Aotearoa, the Arawa people have a rich ancestral heritage that traces back to our origins in Hawaiki through our esteemed canoe traditions. However, within these narratives, the prominence of our heroic male ancestors tends to overshadow the stories of their wives, who are often mentioned merely as secondary characters. Te Kuraimonoa, Kearoa, and Whakaotirangi represent the first three women to be named in Te Arawa traditions, yet their narratives remain vague, existing only from a male perspective. Although their names can be found scattered throughout European and Māori literature, their stories are fragmented and incomplete, varying from tribe to tribe.

The objective of this research is to delve into these three ancestresses' lives from a Te Arawa female perspective, aiming to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding. Employing a mixed-method research approach, this study will investigate Māori and European literature, supplemented by thematical analysis to study and compare data gathered from interviews with female Te Arawa descendants. The insights gained from this endeavour will contribute to the creation of substantial knowledge that can benefit both present and future generations.

Comprising of seven chapters, this thesis unfolds as follows: Chapter one introduces the research purpose and provides an overview of the subsequent chapters. Chapter two outlines the research methodology employed. Chapter three presents an in-depth exploration of Te Arawa iwi, elucidating their significance and cultural context. Chapter four encompasses a comprehensive literature review, while chapter five is solely dedicated to the insights derived from the interview dialogues. Chapter six delves into the findings and engages in detailed discussions, offering a comprehensive analysis. Lastly, chapter seven serves as the conclusion, summarizing the key findings and their implications.

year: 2023