title: Dancing with the Shadows of Wellbeing: An Exploration of Participatory Action Research Processes as a Catalyst for Transformation of Staff Wellbeing

authors: Bentley, Rosemary Diane

subjects: Wellbeing

abstract: My abiding concern with human and planetary wellbeing and an emerging interest in the potential of Participatory Action Research as a method of engaging with restorative, life-enhancing ways of being are central to the research reported here. 

Chomsky (2003), Kelsey (2002), Roddick (2001), and Stiglitz (2003) are amongst many authors who argue that the way in which we shape and are shaped by our relationships with one another has contributed to an intolerable, inhumane and unsustainable compromise of human and planetary wellbeing.  Through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project with staff from Te Ra, a community based on the holistic ideals of Rudolf Steiner, and thus an organisation explicitly committed to holistic wellbeing of people and planet, we sought to explore the challenges to such wellbeing.  While our mutual attention was focused on enhancing staff wellbeing at their place of employment, my wider attention was also given to an investigation of the value of a critical analysis to the wider political and economic context in which this organisation works to meet the aspirations of this community. My deep attention has also focused on the potential for PAR to make a contribution to the transformational aspirations of critical theorists who are concerned to uncover and transform aspects of society that inhibit justice and wellbeing of people and planet. My metaphor of choice, to allow me the engagement in all three spheres simultaneously, is the metaphor of Dance. In my work with the staff of Te Ra, our intent was to 'dance with the Shadows', alluding to Jungian references to hidden aspects of ourselves and this community, to discover if un-wellness and disconnection from self and others could be transformed into flourishing relationships and wellbeing in the organisation. 

McNiff (2000) proposes that PAR has the potential to generate living theories that redefine the main purpose of organisation theory in terms of human wellbeing. Throughout this research project, principles of PAR are woven in with work of critical organisational theorists, psychologists and anthropologists. The already established ideas of reflection, observation, reflexivity, and action are choreographed with the less often considered ideas of those aspects of the research relationship that may inhibit mutuality.  While this organisation is explicitly and deeply committed to underpinning all that is aspired to with a relational ethic, the impact that instrumental practices associated with an intensifying neo-liberal economic external environment have not left this organisation untouched.

It took commitment, courage and resources to identify and engage with the Shadows masked by intrinsic and extrinsic pressures and processes that these research participants were experiencing.  Engaging in PAR processes allowed us dance 'up close and personal' with their aspirations to begin transforming what was not well, while recognising and reinforcing the organisation's existing strong philosophical and spiritual foundations that emphasized individual freedom and collective responsibility for wellbeing of all.  

Based on the significant transformations achieved during this project we posit that PAR provides a collaborative opportunity for academics and practitioners to 'dance with the Shadows' of individuals and communities to make a significant contribution to the development of sustainable relationships in workplaces where human and planetary wellbeing is the priority.

text: Dancing with the Shadows of Wellbeing: An Exploration of Participatory Action Research Processes as a Catalyst for Transformation of Staff Wellbeing My abiding concern with human and planetary wellbeing and an emerging interest in the potential of Participatory Action Research as a method of engaging with restorative, life-enhancing ways of being are central to the research reported here. 

Chomsky (2003), Kelsey (2002), Roddick (2001), and Stiglitz (2003) are amongst many authors who argue that the way in which we shape and are shaped by our relationships with one another has contributed to an intolerable, inhumane and unsustainable compromise of human and planetary wellbeing.  Through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project with staff from Te Ra, a community based on the holistic ideals of Rudolf Steiner, and thus an organisation explicitly committed to holistic wellbeing of people and planet, we sought to explore the challenges to such wellbeing.  While our mutual attention was focused on enhancing staff wellbeing at their place of employment, my wider attention was also given to an investigation of the value of a critical analysis to the wider political and economic context in which this organisation works to meet the aspirations of this community. My deep attention has also focused on the potential for PAR to make a contribution to the transformational aspirations of critical theorists who are concerned to uncover and transform aspects of society that inhibit justice and wellbeing of people and planet. My metaphor of choice, to allow me the engagement in all three spheres simultaneously, is the metaphor of Dance. In my work with the staff of Te Ra, our intent was to 'dance with the Shadows', alluding to Jungian references to hidden aspects of ourselves and this community, to discover if un-wellness and disconnection from self and others could be transformed into flourishing relationships and wellbeing in the organisation. 

McNiff (2000) proposes that PAR has the potential to generate living theories that redefine the main purpose of organisation theory in terms of human wellbeing. Throughout this research project, principles of PAR are woven in with work of critical organisational theorists, psychologists and anthropologists. The already established ideas of reflection, observation, reflexivity, and action are choreographed with the less often considered ideas of those aspects of the research relationship that may inhibit mutuality.  While this organisation is explicitly and deeply committed to underpinning all that is aspired to with a relational ethic, the impact that instrumental practices associated with an intensifying neo-liberal economic external environment have not left this organisation untouched.

It took commitment, courage and resources to identify and engage with the Shadows masked by intrinsic and extrinsic pressures and processes that these research participants were experiencing.  Engaging in PAR processes allowed us dance 'up close and personal' with their aspirations to begin transforming what was not well, while recognising and reinforcing the organisation's existing strong philosophical and spiritual foundations that emphasized individual freedom and collective responsibility for wellbeing of all.  

Based on the significant transformations achieved during this project we posit that PAR provides a collaborative opportunity for academics and practitioners to 'dance with the Shadows' of individuals and communities to make a significant contribution to the development of sustainable relationships in workplaces where human and planetary wellbeing is the priority.

year: 2007

title: Native New Zealand fish: lethal and sublethal effects of pentachlorophenol on early and adult life stages

authors: Hannus, Ingegerd Maria

abstract: The sensitivity of four New Zealand freshwater fish species to 99.5% pure pentachlorophenol was studied. For one part of the study, four early life stages of smelt (Retropinna retropinna), inanga (Galaxias maculatus), koaro (Galaxias brevipinnis), and common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) were exposed to pentachlorophenol, and the acute and sublethal responses were compared to those of the reference species rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Analysis of the acute exposures enabled the determination of 25 LC50 values for the various life stages and fish species examined. In addition, an in depth examination of post-exposure mortality allowed the determination of an additional 16 LC50 values. The acute sensitivities of early life stages of native fish to pentachlorophenol did not differ appreciably when compared to those of rainbow trout. In fact, there was a larger variation between the different life stages within a species, than there was between species. The 48 hour LC50 for pentachlorophenol varied between 31 and 389 ppb (smelt), 30 and 1034 ppb (inanga), 78 and 1043 ppb (koaro), 92 and 191 ppb (common bully), and 77 and 910 ppb (rainbow trout). The larval stages of all fish species examined were more sensitive to acute pentachlorophenol exposure than embryonic stages.

The sublethal parameters of the early life stages that were studied included: growth, the induction of cranial, axial, eye and other deformities, swimming performance, successful hatching rate, time-to-hatch, post-exposure mortality and heart rate. Sublethal effects that were consistently and negatively affected by pentachlorophenol were: post-exposure survival and hatch success, growth, teratology, cranial malformations, swimming performance and heart rates. The parameter time-to-hatch was not consistently altered in either direction, i.e. time-to-hatch after exposure to pentachlorophenol was just as likely to be either shorter than that observed for the controls or longer.

For the remainder of the study, the adults of two species, inanga and common bully were studied for their sublethal responses to pentachlorophenol. The sublethal responses that were studied included: haematological parameters (lactate, glucose, total red blood cell count, total white blood cell count, differential white blood cell count), liver detoxification enzymes (including ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase and uridine 5’ - phosphoglucuronyl transferase) and the induction of 70 kiloDalton heat shock (stress) protein. These parameters were measured at 25, 50 and 75% of the LD50 values for inanga and common bully, which were 0.30 and 0.23 mM, respectively. 

Adult inanga and common bully showed surprisingly few physiological changes in response to sublethal doses of pentachlorophenol. Pentachlorophenol-exposed inanga were characterised by a significant decrease in both blood glucose contents and in uridine 5’-diphosphoglucuronic acid transferase activities. Common bully showed no significant changes in any of the experimental parameters examined, although the increase in the level of 70 kiloDalton heat shock protein was comparable to that of the positive heat-shocked controls.

Very little of this type of research with these species had been undertaken previously, and an important aspect of this study was to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of native fish species for toxicology research. The two main technical difficulties encountered were: one, obtaining fertilised eggs for studying the early life stages of the native fish, and two, obtaining sufficient sample for biochemical and haematological analyses of the adult fish. Despite these shortcomings native fish species have been shown to be a valuable new addition for both early and adult life stage toxicity testing and in measuring both acute and sublethal responses to pentachlorophenol.

text: Native New Zealand fish: lethal and sublethal effects of pentachlorophenol on early and adult life stages The sensitivity of four New Zealand freshwater fish species to 99.5% pure pentachlorophenol was studied. For one part of the study, four early life stages of smelt (Retropinna retropinna), inanga (Galaxias maculatus), koaro (Galaxias brevipinnis), and common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) were exposed to pentachlorophenol, and the acute and sublethal responses were compared to those of the reference species rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Analysis of the acute exposures enabled the determination of 25 LC50 values for the various life stages and fish species examined. In addition, an in depth examination of post-exposure mortality allowed the determination of an additional 16 LC50 values. The acute sensitivities of early life stages of native fish to pentachlorophenol did not differ appreciably when compared to those of rainbow trout. In fact, there was a larger variation between the different life stages within a species, than there was between species. The 48 hour LC50 for pentachlorophenol varied between 31 and 389 ppb (smelt), 30 and 1034 ppb (inanga), 78 and 1043 ppb (koaro), 92 and 191 ppb (common bully), and 77 and 910 ppb (rainbow trout). The larval stages of all fish species examined were more sensitive to acute pentachlorophenol exposure than embryonic stages.

The sublethal parameters of the early life stages that were studied included: growth, the induction of cranial, axial, eye and other deformities, swimming performance, successful hatching rate, time-to-hatch, post-exposure mortality and heart rate. Sublethal effects that were consistently and negatively affected by pentachlorophenol were: post-exposure survival and hatch success, growth, teratology, cranial malformations, swimming performance and heart rates. The parameter time-to-hatch was not consistently altered in either direction, i.e. time-to-hatch after exposure to pentachlorophenol was just as likely to be either shorter than that observed for the controls or longer.

For the remainder of the study, the adults of two species, inanga and common bully were studied for their sublethal responses to pentachlorophenol. The sublethal responses that were studied included: haematological parameters (lactate, glucose, total red blood cell count, total white blood cell count, differential white blood cell count), liver detoxification enzymes (including ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase and uridine 5’ - phosphoglucuronyl transferase) and the induction of 70 kiloDalton heat shock (stress) protein. These parameters were measured at 25, 50 and 75% of the LD50 values for inanga and common bully, which were 0.30 and 0.23 mM, respectively. 

Adult inanga and common bully showed surprisingly few physiological changes in response to sublethal doses of pentachlorophenol. Pentachlorophenol-exposed inanga were characterised by a significant decrease in both blood glucose contents and in uridine 5’-diphosphoglucuronic acid transferase activities. Common bully showed no significant changes in any of the experimental parameters examined, although the increase in the level of 70 kiloDalton heat shock protein was comparable to that of the positive heat-shocked controls.

Very little of this type of research with these species had been undertaken previously, and an important aspect of this study was to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of native fish species for toxicology research. The two main technical difficulties encountered were: one, obtaining fertilised eggs for studying the early life stages of the native fish, and two, obtaining sufficient sample for biochemical and haematological analyses of the adult fish. Despite these shortcomings native fish species have been shown to be a valuable new addition for both early and adult life stage toxicity testing and in measuring both acute and sublethal responses to pentachlorophenol.

year: 1998

title: A Maori language and literacy institute: looking to cyberspace

authors: Roberts, Ngaere

subjects: te reo Māori

abstract: In this paper, it is argued that many of the problems associated with the lack of coordinated research and development activities relating to the revitalisation of Māori language could be resolved by establishing a Māori Language and Literacy Institute. The possibility of establishing such an Institute in cyberspace is an attractive one in that it reduces overheads, allows for an immediate link between researchers, educational providers and iwi, and provides opportunities for wide dissemination of findings and for ongoing discussion.

text: A Maori language and literacy institute: looking to cyberspace In this paper, it is argued that many of the problems associated with the lack of coordinated research and development activities relating to the revitalisation of Māori language could be resolved by establishing a Māori Language and Literacy Institute. The possibility of establishing such an Institute in cyberspace is an attractive one in that it reduces overheads, allows for an immediate link between researchers, educational providers and iwi, and provides opportunities for wide dissemination of findings and for ongoing discussion.

year: 2000-10