title: Acceptance, recognition and supported independence: Wellbeing for children and young people with a disability in New Zealand: The voice of youth with Down Syndrome

authors: Kirk, Maree Louise

subjects: Wellbeing

abstract: The aim of this thesis is to identify what wellbeing means for children and young people with a disability and the factors that influence wellbeing in the home, school, and the community. The research was carried out through consecutive interviews that captured children’s voice through the methods of visual sociology. Grounded theory was the basis for the analysis which produced rich data to describe the lives of these young people with Down syndrome. 
In addition, interviews were undertaken with parents and service providers at a local and national level to gain an insight into the celebrations and challenges of the everyday lives that were experienced by the young people and their families. Service provision was examined from the perspective of all three groups of participants.
Wellbeing is a complex phenomenon and although there has been increasing interest in this field, particularly for children, there is a dearth of research about wellbeing for children and young people with a disability. The findings of the research pointed to three key principles of wellbeing: acceptance, recognition, and supported independence.
These three key principles form the basis of three models in the findings. The first model is an ecological perspective; it illustrates how the level at which policy is introduced and implemented intersects and works to benefit or hinder the service provision in schools and for the children and their families. 
The second model—the dimensions of wellbeing for children and young people—emerged from the data and was used in conjunction with the ecological perspective model to develop the supporting teaching practice for students with Down syndrome and learning disability programme. The third model is, therefore, a capability model for schools. 
The result of the research is the creation of practical tools that can be used to review policy and service provision with the aim of ensuring that children and young people with a disability enjoy entitlements equal to those of all children in New Zealand.

text: Acceptance, recognition and supported independence: Wellbeing for children and young people with a disability in New Zealand: The voice of youth with Down Syndrome The aim of this thesis is to identify what wellbeing means for children and young people with a disability and the factors that influence wellbeing in the home, school, and the community. The research was carried out through consecutive interviews that captured children’s voice through the methods of visual sociology. Grounded theory was the basis for the analysis which produced rich data to describe the lives of these young people with Down syndrome. 
In addition, interviews were undertaken with parents and service providers at a local and national level to gain an insight into the celebrations and challenges of the everyday lives that were experienced by the young people and their families. Service provision was examined from the perspective of all three groups of participants.
Wellbeing is a complex phenomenon and although there has been increasing interest in this field, particularly for children, there is a dearth of research about wellbeing for children and young people with a disability. The findings of the research pointed to three key principles of wellbeing: acceptance, recognition, and supported independence.
These three key principles form the basis of three models in the findings. The first model is an ecological perspective; it illustrates how the level at which policy is introduced and implemented intersects and works to benefit or hinder the service provision in schools and for the children and their families. 
The second model—the dimensions of wellbeing for children and young people—emerged from the data and was used in conjunction with the ecological perspective model to develop the supporting teaching practice for students with Down syndrome and learning disability programme. The third model is, therefore, a capability model for schools. 
The result of the research is the creation of practical tools that can be used to review policy and service provision with the aim of ensuring that children and young people with a disability enjoy entitlements equal to those of all children in New Zealand.

year: 2019

title: Cyclical labour market adjustment in New Zealand: The response of firms to the global financial crisis and its implications for workers, Motu Working Paper 12-04

authors: Fabling, Richard

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: This paper examines the dynamics of employment adjustment in New Zealand, focusing on the response of firms to the 2008/09 Global Financial Crisis. We use data from Statistics New Zealand’s prototype Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) to examine firms’ employment responses to output shocks before and after the crisis, and to investigate variations in job and worker flows. We discuss the resilience of the NZ labour market to economic shocks, and the possible role of labour market policy settings. Finally, we discuss preliminary findings on the differential impact of labour market adjustment on workers – by earnings level, age, gender, and tenure – and outline potential further work along these lines. Our analysis of firm microdata highlights three key features of New Zealand labour market adjustment to the 2008/09 crisis. First, there was considerable heterogeneity across firms, both before and after the crisis, in the size of output shocks that firms faced, the amount of employment adjustment in response to any given output shock, and in the size of worker flows given the firm’s employment adjustment. Second, the crisis not only moved the distribution of output shocks faced by firms, but also altered the relationship between output shocks and changes in job and worker flows and employment. Third, the impact of the observed firm-level dynamics had an uneven impact on workers, with greater employment losses for low wage workers, young workers, and workers with low job tenure.

text: Cyclical labour market adjustment in New Zealand: The response of firms to the global financial crisis and its implications for workers, Motu Working Paper 12-04 This paper examines the dynamics of employment adjustment in New Zealand, focusing on the response of firms to the 2008/09 Global Financial Crisis. We use data from Statistics New Zealand’s prototype Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) to examine firms’ employment responses to output shocks before and after the crisis, and to investigate variations in job and worker flows. We discuss the resilience of the NZ labour market to economic shocks, and the possible role of labour market policy settings. Finally, we discuss preliminary findings on the differential impact of labour market adjustment on workers – by earnings level, age, gender, and tenure – and outline potential further work along these lines. Our analysis of firm microdata highlights three key features of New Zealand labour market adjustment to the 2008/09 crisis. First, there was considerable heterogeneity across firms, both before and after the crisis, in the size of output shocks that firms faced, the amount of employment adjustment in response to any given output shock, and in the size of worker flows given the firm’s employment adjustment. Second, the crisis not only moved the distribution of output shocks faced by firms, but also altered the relationship between output shocks and changes in job and worker flows and employment. Third, the impact of the observed firm-level dynamics had an uneven impact on workers, with greater employment losses for low wage workers, young workers, and workers with low job tenure.

year: 2012-04

title: Moko – A Research Project

authors: Te Awekotuku, Ngahuia

subjects: Maori

abstract: Moko colours the lives, and the skins, of all the people involved in the making of this book “Mau Moko”, which began as the Marsden project, “Ta Moko – Culture, Body Modification, and the Psychology of Identity”, 2001-2005. We proposed to study the origins, significance, technology and practice of Ta Moko from the pre-contact period to contemporary times, and to explore how this important art form has become a dynamic and positive assertion of being Maori in our changing world.

text: Moko – A Research Project Moko colours the lives, and the skins, of all the people involved in the making of this book “Mau Moko”, which began as the Marsden project, “Ta Moko – Culture, Body Modification, and the Psychology of Identity”, 2001-2005. We proposed to study the origins, significance, technology and practice of Ta Moko from the pre-contact period to contemporary times, and to explore how this important art form has become a dynamic and positive assertion of being Maori in our changing world.

year: 2008