title: Understanding inclusive dance practice: An investigation of the leadership, pedagogy and facilitation in inclusive dance classes in Aotearoa, New Zealand

authors: Richmond, Courtney J.

subjects: Dance

abstract: Inclusive dance practice is based upon the assumption that dancing is a fundamental activity that all people may participate in. It is a practice that brings diverse groups of people together to share in the movement of dance and is built upon core values that differ from traditional dance practice. The core values that underpin and drive inclusive dance practice are: inclusion, community building, and the celebration of diversity. Inclusive dance practice encompasses diversity both in the people engaging in dance and in the ways in which different community members move together. This thesis focuses on the ways in which key experts of inclusive dance work within the roles of leader, teacher, facilitator within their community. Developing a deeper understanding of inclusive dance practice, and of leadership, pedagogy and facilitation within research literature provides the context for an ethnographic investigation into how inclusive dance communities and key experts engage. Interviews with four key experts in inclusive dance in New Zealand, along with participant observation and field notes gathered as an insider researcher within the community of Wellington Inclusive Dance (WI Dance) are analysed and provide rich ethnographic narrative and autoethnographic vignettes. These findings offer insights into the core values from which inclusive dance arises and informs the practices within different communities while still allowing for multiplicity and uniqueness. These values promoted through inclusive dance mean that the learning experiences within inclusive dance classes are presented in non-traditional ways, allowing key experts to work in various ways including as leader, teacher and/or facilitator. In particular, transformational leadership, student-centred and somatic pedagogies, and facilitation as a pedagogical approach, are utilised by the key experts. On the basis of this research, it is concluded that the key experts role in an inclusive dance community is fluid and multifaceted as they adapt to address the needs of the community and uphold the core values of the practice. In order to meet the diverse needs of the community, key experts use leadership, pedagogy and facilitation approaches in unique ways as appropriate for them and their community. This shows that an understanding of the values underpinning inclusive dance practice is essential for understanding the ways in which leadership, pedagogy and facilitation approaches are used by key experts in inclusive dance communities.

text: Understanding inclusive dance practice: An investigation of the leadership, pedagogy and facilitation in inclusive dance classes in Aotearoa, New Zealand Inclusive dance practice is based upon the assumption that dancing is a fundamental activity that all people may participate in. It is a practice that brings diverse groups of people together to share in the movement of dance and is built upon core values that differ from traditional dance practice. The core values that underpin and drive inclusive dance practice are: inclusion, community building, and the celebration of diversity. Inclusive dance practice encompasses diversity both in the people engaging in dance and in the ways in which different community members move together. This thesis focuses on the ways in which key experts of inclusive dance work within the roles of leader, teacher, facilitator within their community. Developing a deeper understanding of inclusive dance practice, and of leadership, pedagogy and facilitation within research literature provides the context for an ethnographic investigation into how inclusive dance communities and key experts engage. Interviews with four key experts in inclusive dance in New Zealand, along with participant observation and field notes gathered as an insider researcher within the community of Wellington Inclusive Dance (WI Dance) are analysed and provide rich ethnographic narrative and autoethnographic vignettes. These findings offer insights into the core values from which inclusive dance arises and informs the practices within different communities while still allowing for multiplicity and uniqueness. These values promoted through inclusive dance mean that the learning experiences within inclusive dance classes are presented in non-traditional ways, allowing key experts to work in various ways including as leader, teacher and/or facilitator. In particular, transformational leadership, student-centred and somatic pedagogies, and facilitation as a pedagogical approach, are utilised by the key experts. On the basis of this research, it is concluded that the key experts role in an inclusive dance community is fluid and multifaceted as they adapt to address the needs of the community and uphold the core values of the practice. In order to meet the diverse needs of the community, key experts use leadership, pedagogy and facilitation approaches in unique ways as appropriate for them and their community. This shows that an understanding of the values underpinning inclusive dance practice is essential for understanding the ways in which leadership, pedagogy and facilitation approaches are used by key experts in inclusive dance communities.

year: 2021

title: Temporal dynamics of geothermal microbial communities in Aotearoa-New Zealand

authors: Power, Jean Florence

abstract: Microbial biogeography studies, in particular for geothermal-associated habitats, have focused on spatial patterns and/or individual sites, which have limited ability to describe the dynamics of ecosystem behaviour. Here, we report the first comprehensive temporal study of bacterial and archaeal communities from an extensive range of geothermal features in Aotearoa-New Zealand. One hundred and fifteen water column samples from 31 geothermal ecosystems were taken over a 34-month period to ascertain microbial community stability (control sites), community response to both natural and anthropogenic disturbances in the local environment (disturbed sites) and temporal variation in spring diversity across different pH values (pH 3, 5, 7, 9) all at a similar temperature of 60–70°C (pH sites). Identical methodologies were employed to measure microbial diversity via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, along with 44 physicochemical parameters from each feature, to ensure confidence in comparing samples across timeframes. Our results indicated temperature and associated groundwater physicochemistry were the most likely parameters to vary stochastically in these geothermal features, with community abundances rather than composition more readily affected by a changing environment. However, variation in pH (pH ±1) had a more significant effect on community structure than temperature (±20°C), with alpha diversity failing to adequately measure temporal microbial disparity in geothermal features outside of circumneutral conditions. While a substantial physicochemical disturbance was required to shift community structures at the phylum level, geothermal ecosystems were resilient at this broad taxonomic rank and returned to a pre-disturbed state if environmental conditions re-established. These findings highlight the diverse controls between different microbial communities within the same habitat-type, expanding our understanding of temporal dynamics in extreme ecosystems.

text: Temporal dynamics of geothermal microbial communities in Aotearoa-New Zealand Microbial biogeography studies, in particular for geothermal-associated habitats, have focused on spatial patterns and/or individual sites, which have limited ability to describe the dynamics of ecosystem behaviour. Here, we report the first comprehensive temporal study of bacterial and archaeal communities from an extensive range of geothermal features in Aotearoa-New Zealand. One hundred and fifteen water column samples from 31 geothermal ecosystems were taken over a 34-month period to ascertain microbial community stability (control sites), community response to both natural and anthropogenic disturbances in the local environment (disturbed sites) and temporal variation in spring diversity across different pH values (pH 3, 5, 7, 9) all at a similar temperature of 60–70°C (pH sites). Identical methodologies were employed to measure microbial diversity via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, along with 44 physicochemical parameters from each feature, to ensure confidence in comparing samples across timeframes. Our results indicated temperature and associated groundwater physicochemistry were the most likely parameters to vary stochastically in these geothermal features, with community abundances rather than composition more readily affected by a changing environment. However, variation in pH (pH ±1) had a more significant effect on community structure than temperature (±20°C), with alpha diversity failing to adequately measure temporal microbial disparity in geothermal features outside of circumneutral conditions. While a substantial physicochemical disturbance was required to shift community structures at the phylum level, geothermal ecosystems were resilient at this broad taxonomic rank and returned to a pre-disturbed state if environmental conditions re-established. These findings highlight the diverse controls between different microbial communities within the same habitat-type, expanding our understanding of temporal dynamics in extreme ecosystems.

year: 2023-01-01

title: Kaupapa Māori research- Some Kaupapa Māori principles

authors: Smith, Linda Tuhiwai

abstract: This paper was first presented at a conference of Māori academic staff at Massey University in 1996. It predates the publication of Decolonising Methodologies in 1998. You will note that since this paper was first presented our understandings and experiences in using Kaupapa Māori have deepened and we have significant capacity in Kaupapa Māori research. In 1996 there were many topics we could not imagine in depth as we had not completed the work to realise the potential of Kaupapa Māori. Also, our thinking was tentative and we were searching for the pathways to research that made sense in Māori ways. In looking back on the paper I can see my own naïve explorations into ideas that I thought were important. I have resisted the urge to rewrite this paper entirely as I think it stands as a good historical moment of where we were and where we are now. It needs to be read in the context of the 1990s.

text: Kaupapa Māori research- Some Kaupapa Māori principles This paper was first presented at a conference of Māori academic staff at Massey University in 1996. It predates the publication of Decolonising Methodologies in 1998. You will note that since this paper was first presented our understandings and experiences in using Kaupapa Māori have deepened and we have significant capacity in Kaupapa Māori research. In 1996 there were many topics we could not imagine in depth as we had not completed the work to realise the potential of Kaupapa Māori. Also, our thinking was tentative and we were searching for the pathways to research that made sense in Māori ways. In looking back on the paper I can see my own naïve explorations into ideas that I thought were important. I have resisted the urge to rewrite this paper entirely as I think it stands as a good historical moment of where we were and where we are now. It needs to be read in the context of the 1990s.

year: 2015