title: Re-Imaging the 'Kiwi Bloke': Low Places and Anxious Spaces in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Keppel, Jessica Jean

subjects: Masculinities

abstract: This thesis extends mental health geographies by examining how and in what ways emotions are performed and negotiated in place by men who experience anxiety and depression. The research seeks to explain men’s responses to, and lived experiences of, contemporary mental health campaigns and discourses in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research has two main questions. First, how do men respond to gendered mental health discourses in New Zealand media? Second, how do men, with anxiety and depression, emotionally experience and negotiate different spaces? The thesis aims to promote greater awareness of men’s mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand, and broaden critical geographical literature, by offering a new geography of hope.
New Zealand masculinity has been historically shaped alongside working-class culture, rugby union and ‘hard man’ stereotypes. These discourses marginalise men who experience emotional and mental ill-health. The research seeks to re-image the ‘kiwi bloke’ and make space for alternative health stories to be heard. The research is framed within health geography literature and feminist poststructuralist theories. I maintain that mental and emotional ill-health are affected through biopsychosocial relations and a myriad of spaces and places. I conducted critical discourse analysis on contemporary mental health campaigns. Nine men, who identify with or live in New Zealand, participated in semi-structured interviews, solicited diaries and follow-up questionnaires. The methodology is theoretically and empirically innovative, and seeks to find more appropriate interfaces for conducting critical gender and mental health research. 
My findings are organised around two spatial scales: the discursive space of mental health promotion and hegemonic New Zealand masculinity; and, the everyday emotional spatialities of men who experience anxiety and depression. I maintain that there is a ‘new national imaginary’ around men’s mental health promotion which influences a more intimate geography of hope. I assert social spaces prescribe men’s bodies with performances of hegemonic masculinity and that spatial power relations position men as object to marginalization in ‘peopled places’. I discuss how the men find ways to create meaningful healthy spaces in order to avoid the pressure felt in social spaces. Some men find wellbeing through embodying their home spaces, while others seek attachment to place, outside of their residential dwellings. Ultimately, this thesis provides a geography of hope by illustrating how some men elicit power, domination and control and resist mental illness stigma through their embodied spaces.

text: Re-Imaging the 'Kiwi Bloke': Low Places and Anxious Spaces in Aotearoa New Zealand This thesis extends mental health geographies by examining how and in what ways emotions are performed and negotiated in place by men who experience anxiety and depression. The research seeks to explain men’s responses to, and lived experiences of, contemporary mental health campaigns and discourses in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research has two main questions. First, how do men respond to gendered mental health discourses in New Zealand media? Second, how do men, with anxiety and depression, emotionally experience and negotiate different spaces? The thesis aims to promote greater awareness of men’s mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand, and broaden critical geographical literature, by offering a new geography of hope.
New Zealand masculinity has been historically shaped alongside working-class culture, rugby union and ‘hard man’ stereotypes. These discourses marginalise men who experience emotional and mental ill-health. The research seeks to re-image the ‘kiwi bloke’ and make space for alternative health stories to be heard. The research is framed within health geography literature and feminist poststructuralist theories. I maintain that mental and emotional ill-health are affected through biopsychosocial relations and a myriad of spaces and places. I conducted critical discourse analysis on contemporary mental health campaigns. Nine men, who identify with or live in New Zealand, participated in semi-structured interviews, solicited diaries and follow-up questionnaires. The methodology is theoretically and empirically innovative, and seeks to find more appropriate interfaces for conducting critical gender and mental health research. 
My findings are organised around two spatial scales: the discursive space of mental health promotion and hegemonic New Zealand masculinity; and, the everyday emotional spatialities of men who experience anxiety and depression. I maintain that there is a ‘new national imaginary’ around men’s mental health promotion which influences a more intimate geography of hope. I assert social spaces prescribe men’s bodies with performances of hegemonic masculinity and that spatial power relations position men as object to marginalization in ‘peopled places’. I discuss how the men find ways to create meaningful healthy spaces in order to avoid the pressure felt in social spaces. Some men find wellbeing through embodying their home spaces, while others seek attachment to place, outside of their residential dwellings. Ultimately, this thesis provides a geography of hope by illustrating how some men elicit power, domination and control and resist mental illness stigma through their embodied spaces.

year: 2012

title: Comparative importance of training stimuli in avian aversion training for the domestic dog (Canis familiaris)

authors: Hobbs, Alisha Aroha

abstract: Dogs are the most significant threat to adult kiwi (Apteryx spp.), and kiwi aversion training (KAT) has been developed to reduce the likelihood of dogs harming and killing kiwi. In KAT, dogs are presented with a range of kiwi-related stimuli, which attempt to emulate live kiwi. The kiwi stimuli used can vary between trainers and may affect the overall efficacy of KAT. Thus, there is a need to assess the innate ‘interest’ of dogs in relation to kiwi stimuli to evaluate the potential relevance of different kiwi stimuli for KAT.
In this study, I assessed three groups of dogs with differing experience with kiwi: kiwi conservation dogs, KAT dogs, and kiwi naïve pet dogs. I presented dogs with four kiwi-related stimuli: a kiwi carcass, a taxidermy kiwi, kiwi feathers, kiwi scats, and a blank stimulus using a single-choice preference assessment. Within each trial, dogs were presented with a single kiwi or blank stimulus and were allowed two minutes with the stimulus. The amount of time the dogs spent within the experimental area as well as the behaviour of dogs were videoed throughout the experiment. I used the amount of time the dogs spent investigating a stimulus, as well as their latency to approach the stimulus, as measures of ‘interest’ from the dogs to each stimulus.
I found that, on average, dogs in all three groups spent more time investigating the kiwi carcass and taxidermy kiwi stimuli. However, the KAT dogs showed the lowest mean duration of investigating each stimulus, while the kiwi conservation dog group had the highest duration. For dogs in the naïve and kiwi conservation dog groups, there was a significant difference in the amount of time they spent investigating each stimulus, with the dogs spending significantly longer investigating the kiwi carcass and taxidermy kiwi in comparison to the scats, feathers and blank stimulus. There was no significant difference in the time the dogs spent investigating the different stimuli in the KAT dog group. Despite the decreased duration of investigation behaviour, dogs within the KAT dog group did not show fear-related behaviour in response to the kiwi stimuli presented. When the duration of time that the dogs spent investigating the different kiwi stimuli was compared across all three groups, no significant difference was found. This indicates that dogs across groups spent similar amounts of time investigating each stimulus.
The lack of obvious learned avoidance behaviours towards kiwi stimuli by KAT dogs in this study suggest that dogs did not show a generalised avoidance toward kiwi stimuli that were not used in their initial KAT. Dogs may still show avoidance toward the stimuli used in their initial training but learned avoidance may not generalise to other kiwi stimuli even if these stimuli are the same type. This poses an issue as each trainer uses different stimuli during KAT, and if dogs are not learning to avoid all kiwi stimuli, dogs may not adequately learn to avoid live kiwi. The kiwi carcass and taxidermy kiwi were of the greatest ‘interest’ to dogs across groups and so these may be useful stimuli for use in KAT, more so that kiwi scats and feathers. From this study, it seems that visual cues provoke an initial ‘interest’ in the dogs to investigate a stimulus. I suggested to use several conspicuous items such as taxidermy kiwi models during KAT to ensure generalisation across different stimuli and increase the efficacy of KAT.

text: Comparative importance of training stimuli in avian aversion training for the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) Dogs are the most significant threat to adult kiwi (Apteryx spp.), and kiwi aversion training (KAT) has been developed to reduce the likelihood of dogs harming and killing kiwi. In KAT, dogs are presented with a range of kiwi-related stimuli, which attempt to emulate live kiwi. The kiwi stimuli used can vary between trainers and may affect the overall efficacy of KAT. Thus, there is a need to assess the innate ‘interest’ of dogs in relation to kiwi stimuli to evaluate the potential relevance of different kiwi stimuli for KAT.
In this study, I assessed three groups of dogs with differing experience with kiwi: kiwi conservation dogs, KAT dogs, and kiwi naïve pet dogs. I presented dogs with four kiwi-related stimuli: a kiwi carcass, a taxidermy kiwi, kiwi feathers, kiwi scats, and a blank stimulus using a single-choice preference assessment. Within each trial, dogs were presented with a single kiwi or blank stimulus and were allowed two minutes with the stimulus. The amount of time the dogs spent within the experimental area as well as the behaviour of dogs were videoed throughout the experiment. I used the amount of time the dogs spent investigating a stimulus, as well as their latency to approach the stimulus, as measures of ‘interest’ from the dogs to each stimulus.
I found that, on average, dogs in all three groups spent more time investigating the kiwi carcass and taxidermy kiwi stimuli. However, the KAT dogs showed the lowest mean duration of investigating each stimulus, while the kiwi conservation dog group had the highest duration. For dogs in the naïve and kiwi conservation dog groups, there was a significant difference in the amount of time they spent investigating each stimulus, with the dogs spending significantly longer investigating the kiwi carcass and taxidermy kiwi in comparison to the scats, feathers and blank stimulus. There was no significant difference in the time the dogs spent investigating the different stimuli in the KAT dog group. Despite the decreased duration of investigation behaviour, dogs within the KAT dog group did not show fear-related behaviour in response to the kiwi stimuli presented. When the duration of time that the dogs spent investigating the different kiwi stimuli was compared across all three groups, no significant difference was found. This indicates that dogs across groups spent similar amounts of time investigating each stimulus.
The lack of obvious learned avoidance behaviours towards kiwi stimuli by KAT dogs in this study suggest that dogs did not show a generalised avoidance toward kiwi stimuli that were not used in their initial KAT. Dogs may still show avoidance toward the stimuli used in their initial training but learned avoidance may not generalise to other kiwi stimuli even if these stimuli are the same type. This poses an issue as each trainer uses different stimuli during KAT, and if dogs are not learning to avoid all kiwi stimuli, dogs may not adequately learn to avoid live kiwi. The kiwi carcass and taxidermy kiwi were of the greatest ‘interest’ to dogs across groups and so these may be useful stimuli for use in KAT, more so that kiwi scats and feathers. From this study, it seems that visual cues provoke an initial ‘interest’ in the dogs to investigate a stimulus. I suggested to use several conspicuous items such as taxidermy kiwi models during KAT to ensure generalisation across different stimuli and increase the efficacy of KAT.

year: 2018

title: An evaluation of Te Rau Puawai workforce 100: Academic mentor's perspectives

authors: Nikora, Linda Waimarie

subjects: Maori students

abstract: To evaluate the Te Rau Puawai programme, the Ministry of Health commissioned the
Maori and Psychology Research Unit of the University of Waikato in July 2001. The
overall aim of the evaluation was to provide the Ministry with a clearer understanding
of the programme including: the perceived critical success factors, the barriers if any
regarding Te Rau Puawai, the impact of the programme, the extent to which the
programme may be transferable, gaps in the programme, and suggested
improvements.
As an integral component of the Te Rau Puawai programme and as a specialised
source of support, academic mentors were identified as an important group to receive
comment from. This report documents the evaluative exchange that occurred by way
of email questionnaire, that we had with 18 out of 46 academic mentors of Te Rau
Puawai bursars in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences responded to our
questionnaire.

text: An evaluation of Te Rau Puawai workforce 100: Academic mentor's perspectives To evaluate the Te Rau Puawai programme, the Ministry of Health commissioned the
Maori and Psychology Research Unit of the University of Waikato in July 2001. The
overall aim of the evaluation was to provide the Ministry with a clearer understanding
of the programme including: the perceived critical success factors, the barriers if any
regarding Te Rau Puawai, the impact of the programme, the extent to which the
programme may be transferable, gaps in the programme, and suggested
improvements.
As an integral component of the Te Rau Puawai programme and as a specialised
source of support, academic mentors were identified as an important group to receive
comment from. This report documents the evaluative exchange that occurred by way
of email questionnaire, that we had with 18 out of 46 academic mentors of Te Rau
Puawai bursars in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences responded to our
questionnaire.

year: 2002-05-01