title: “Mate Ni Vula”, “Masina”, “Vaʻine Fakahēʻaho”, “Eikura” Pacific sports women’s knowledge and experiences of menstruation

authors: Gibbons, Agatha

abstract: Pacific women's interest and participation in sports have increased rapidly throughout the decades. Recently, many have become competitive across a range of sports at regional, national, and international levels. Yet very little research is focused on Pacific sportswomen’s experiences, or how their cultural identities shape their performance, health, and well-being needs. This thesis focuses on Pacific sportswomen’s experiences of menstruation, and in so doing, makes an important contribution to both literature on Pacific sportswomen, and research on menstruation in sport. Research on sportswomen’s experiences of menstruation has grown significantly over recent years, but most of this research is conducted by white women on white sportswomen, with findings then generalized to all sportswomen. This thesis identifies a gap in literature, and the risks of excluding sportswomen’s cultural identities, practices, and values from research, policy, and practices focused on menstruation in sport. 
Adopting a Masi methodology, this project included three methods: a survey of 206 Pacific sportswomen; Talanoa sessions with 21 Fijian sportswomen, and interviews with 16 Pacific sportswomen living in Aotearoa New Zealand.  This project aimed to listen to, learn from, and amplify sportswomen's experiences and their understandings of menstruation, cultural beliefs, and the taboos that influence their menstrual experiences. This is a thesis with publication; some chapters are published articles, and others are manuscripts undergoing review. First, the thesis systematically identifies the gap in the literature with a scoping review of research focused on menstruation in sport, that shows that % of research ignores women’s cultural or ethnic identities. This chapter identifies the need for more culturally responsive research methods and culturally safe practices from sports and health professionals working with sportswomen from diverse backgrounds. Following this, results from the survey are presented, highlighting the diversity of cultural knowledge and practices associated with menstruation across the Pacific the survey also reveals the different cultural stigmas, beliefs, taboos, traditions, menstrual health, and sports performance of elite Pacific sportswomen. The following two chapters focus on findings from Fijian sportswomen, and then Pacific sportswomen living in Aotearoa New Zealand, with both amplifying the voices and experiences of Pacific sportswomen and their challenges of gaining culturally informed menstrual health information and support in sporting environments. These chapters describe how culture intersects with gender and other key variables (i.e., socio-economic considerations), and how these influence sportswomen’s experiences of menstruation.  
Ultimately, this research makes an important contribution to research on menstruation in sport, highlighting the need for culturally responsive methodologies and approaches in research and practice. It provides new and current cultural knowledge that can be used to improve the health, performance, and social support structures for Pacific sportswomen. This knowledge can expand sports and health providers' understanding of Pacific sportswomen's culturally specific needs, knowledge, and values concerning menstruation. Finally, this research supports the development of sport in the Pacific by providing cultural knowledge on how to engage Pacific sportswomen in safe, respectful, and constructive conversations around menstruation in sport.

text: “Mate Ni Vula”, “Masina”, “Vaʻine Fakahēʻaho”, “Eikura” Pacific sports women’s knowledge and experiences of menstruation Pacific women's interest and participation in sports have increased rapidly throughout the decades. Recently, many have become competitive across a range of sports at regional, national, and international levels. Yet very little research is focused on Pacific sportswomen’s experiences, or how their cultural identities shape their performance, health, and well-being needs. This thesis focuses on Pacific sportswomen’s experiences of menstruation, and in so doing, makes an important contribution to both literature on Pacific sportswomen, and research on menstruation in sport. Research on sportswomen’s experiences of menstruation has grown significantly over recent years, but most of this research is conducted by white women on white sportswomen, with findings then generalized to all sportswomen. This thesis identifies a gap in literature, and the risks of excluding sportswomen’s cultural identities, practices, and values from research, policy, and practices focused on menstruation in sport. 
Adopting a Masi methodology, this project included three methods: a survey of 206 Pacific sportswomen; Talanoa sessions with 21 Fijian sportswomen, and interviews with 16 Pacific sportswomen living in Aotearoa New Zealand.  This project aimed to listen to, learn from, and amplify sportswomen's experiences and their understandings of menstruation, cultural beliefs, and the taboos that influence their menstrual experiences. This is a thesis with publication; some chapters are published articles, and others are manuscripts undergoing review. First, the thesis systematically identifies the gap in the literature with a scoping review of research focused on menstruation in sport, that shows that % of research ignores women’s cultural or ethnic identities. This chapter identifies the need for more culturally responsive research methods and culturally safe practices from sports and health professionals working with sportswomen from diverse backgrounds. Following this, results from the survey are presented, highlighting the diversity of cultural knowledge and practices associated with menstruation across the Pacific the survey also reveals the different cultural stigmas, beliefs, taboos, traditions, menstrual health, and sports performance of elite Pacific sportswomen. The following two chapters focus on findings from Fijian sportswomen, and then Pacific sportswomen living in Aotearoa New Zealand, with both amplifying the voices and experiences of Pacific sportswomen and their challenges of gaining culturally informed menstrual health information and support in sporting environments. These chapters describe how culture intersects with gender and other key variables (i.e., socio-economic considerations), and how these influence sportswomen’s experiences of menstruation.  
Ultimately, this research makes an important contribution to research on menstruation in sport, highlighting the need for culturally responsive methodologies and approaches in research and practice. It provides new and current cultural knowledge that can be used to improve the health, performance, and social support structures for Pacific sportswomen. This knowledge can expand sports and health providers' understanding of Pacific sportswomen's culturally specific needs, knowledge, and values concerning menstruation. Finally, this research supports the development of sport in the Pacific by providing cultural knowledge on how to engage Pacific sportswomen in safe, respectful, and constructive conversations around menstruation in sport.

year: 2025-08

title: The evolution of Marshall Sahlins

authors: Goldsmith, Michael

subjects: Marshall Sahlins

abstract: MARSHALL SAHLINS (born 1930), the Charles Grey Distinguished Professor at the University of Chicago, is the highest-profile American anthropologist currently working in the field of Oceania. There is no denying his influence in theoretical areas of concern to the discipline as a whole but his final reputation is likely to rest on a number of writings on Pacific topics. Because he is an accomplished archival researcher as well as a fieldworker, his scholarship transcends anthropology and spills over into history, greatly increasing the impact his ideas have had in contemporary intellectual life.

text: The evolution of Marshall Sahlins MARSHALL SAHLINS (born 1930), the Charles Grey Distinguished Professor at the University of Chicago, is the highest-profile American anthropologist currently working in the field of Oceania. There is no denying his influence in theoretical areas of concern to the discipline as a whole but his final reputation is likely to rest on a number of writings on Pacific topics. Because he is an accomplished archival researcher as well as a fieldworker, his scholarship transcends anthropology and spills over into history, greatly increasing the impact his ideas have had in contemporary intellectual life.

year: 2005

title: Te ahunga atu ki ngā ōhanga oranga Māori: Towards Māori economies of wellbeing - Ngā whānau i te pokapū o te oranga

authors: Spiller, Chellie

abstract: Nau mai ki tēnei kohinga o ngā whakaaro me ngā tikanga e pā ana ki te oranga ohaoha Māori. Ko tō mātou kaupapa matua ko te whānau; e hiahia ana mātou ki te whakaatu i ngā huarahi ki te ora pai mō te whānau i roto i ngā horopaki ohaoha. Ko te ao Māori tō mātou tūāpapa. E whakakao ana tēnei pukapuka i te huhua o ngā reo me ngā tirohanga nō te ao Māori, me ētahi atu wheako e hāngai ana. Kua kotahi mātou ki raro i te taumarumaru o te kaupapa tūturu kotahi: arā, te oranga pai mō ngā whānau. Ko te tūmanako ka tautoko, ka whakaohooho anō hoki tēnei pukapuka i ngā tāngata kia hōhonu atu tā rātou hono ki tēnei kaupapa whaitake, kia whai māramatanga whaihua hoki rātou.

Welcome to this collection of thoughts and practices related to Māori economic life. Our primary focus is the whānau; we want to show ways to live well for the whānau in economic contexts. Our foundation is te ao Māori. This book brings together many voices and perspectives from the Māori world and other relevant experiences. We are united in one true purpose: the good livelihood of whānau. We hope this book will support and inspire people to connect more deeply with this critical topic and gain valuable insights.

text: Te ahunga atu ki ngā ōhanga oranga Māori: Towards Māori economies of wellbeing - Ngā whānau i te pokapū o te oranga Nau mai ki tēnei kohinga o ngā whakaaro me ngā tikanga e pā ana ki te oranga ohaoha Māori. Ko tō mātou kaupapa matua ko te whānau; e hiahia ana mātou ki te whakaatu i ngā huarahi ki te ora pai mō te whānau i roto i ngā horopaki ohaoha. Ko te ao Māori tō mātou tūāpapa. E whakakao ana tēnei pukapuka i te huhua o ngā reo me ngā tirohanga nō te ao Māori, me ētahi atu wheako e hāngai ana. Kua kotahi mātou ki raro i te taumarumaru o te kaupapa tūturu kotahi: arā, te oranga pai mō ngā whānau. Ko te tūmanako ka tautoko, ka whakaohooho anō hoki tēnei pukapuka i ngā tāngata kia hōhonu atu tā rātou hono ki tēnei kaupapa whaitake, kia whai māramatanga whaihua hoki rātou.

Welcome to this collection of thoughts and practices related to Māori economic life. Our primary focus is the whānau; we want to show ways to live well for the whānau in economic contexts. Our foundation is te ao Māori. This book brings together many voices and perspectives from the Māori world and other relevant experiences. We are united in one true purpose: the good livelihood of whānau. We hope this book will support and inspire people to connect more deeply with this critical topic and gain valuable insights.

year: 2025