title: Making the jump: Examining the glocalisation of parkour in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Puddle, Damien

subjects: parkour

abstract: Once a niche physical pastime of a small group of men in the urban suburbs of France, parkour is now a global phenomenon. Parkour provides an ideal context to investigate contemporary youth, and adoptees of this primarily youthful culture, and their increasingly connected experiences. Using a social constructionist approach, this research explores the global and local influences that affect the experiences of parkour practitioners in New Zealand and contribute to the establishment of parkour in New Zealand. I draw on multiple qualitative methods of inquiry, including 30 in-depth interviews with a diverse group of New Zealand practitioners, participant observations, a digital ethnography on social media, as well as my personal reflections as a parkour practitioner and community insider. I implement three different theoretical perspectives to understanding the glocalisation (Robertson, 1995, 2012) of parkour in New Zealand, with each one helping to unpack specific elements of the parkour experience. In my first empirical chapter I draw on Appadurai’s (1990, 1996) model of global cultural flows which provides a framework to introduce and understand the various macro movements of people, media, technology, ideas, as well as the physical landscape that underpins the broad experiences of New Zealand practitioners. In the second I adopt a mobilities approach (Sheller & Urry, 2006; Urry, 2007) to ask questions about how parkour participation is experienced differently by core and marginalised members of its community, informing experiences of gender and ethnicity. In the third and final empirical chapter I draw upon Ritzer’s (2003a, 2007) concept of ‘globalisation of nothing’ to facilitate an exploration of the development of Parkour NZ and how the New Zealand community involves itself in the politics of parkour’s global institutionalisation. These accounts demonstrate that there are concurrent examples of universality and particularity as New Zealand practitioners negotiate between their global and local parkour experiences. This research suggests that an appreciation of glocalised experiences is essential for understanding the ways in which adherents of contemporary youth cultures like parkour make sense of their lives in an increasingly connected and globalised world.

text: Making the jump: Examining the glocalisation of parkour in Aotearoa New Zealand Once a niche physical pastime of a small group of men in the urban suburbs of France, parkour is now a global phenomenon. Parkour provides an ideal context to investigate contemporary youth, and adoptees of this primarily youthful culture, and their increasingly connected experiences. Using a social constructionist approach, this research explores the global and local influences that affect the experiences of parkour practitioners in New Zealand and contribute to the establishment of parkour in New Zealand. I draw on multiple qualitative methods of inquiry, including 30 in-depth interviews with a diverse group of New Zealand practitioners, participant observations, a digital ethnography on social media, as well as my personal reflections as a parkour practitioner and community insider. I implement three different theoretical perspectives to understanding the glocalisation (Robertson, 1995, 2012) of parkour in New Zealand, with each one helping to unpack specific elements of the parkour experience. In my first empirical chapter I draw on Appadurai’s (1990, 1996) model of global cultural flows which provides a framework to introduce and understand the various macro movements of people, media, technology, ideas, as well as the physical landscape that underpins the broad experiences of New Zealand practitioners. In the second I adopt a mobilities approach (Sheller & Urry, 2006; Urry, 2007) to ask questions about how parkour participation is experienced differently by core and marginalised members of its community, informing experiences of gender and ethnicity. In the third and final empirical chapter I draw upon Ritzer’s (2003a, 2007) concept of ‘globalisation of nothing’ to facilitate an exploration of the development of Parkour NZ and how the New Zealand community involves itself in the politics of parkour’s global institutionalisation. These accounts demonstrate that there are concurrent examples of universality and particularity as New Zealand practitioners negotiate between their global and local parkour experiences. This research suggests that an appreciation of glocalised experiences is essential for understanding the ways in which adherents of contemporary youth cultures like parkour make sense of their lives in an increasingly connected and globalised world.

year: 2019

title: Communication Networks of Men with Prostate Cancer

authors: Brown, Dorothy Ruth

subjects: Communication networks

abstract: Prostate cancer can be a difficult disease to manage but men who are diagnosed with it have networks of others around them who can be ready to offer support through the treatment. The effectiveness with which these networks can be mobilised is partly determined by the willingness of men to disclose their diagnosis. The main purpose of this research was to determine both the structure and content of the networks of men who have recently had a biopsy for prostate cancer.

This qualitative study was conducted from an egocentric network perspective in which nodes and ties are fundamental features; nodes being the individuals or groups within a network and ties the relationships between them. All men who were on the waiting list for a prostate biopsy were eligible to be included in this study. A total of 41 men participated and completed a semi-structured interview that sought to elicit who were in the men’s networks and what was talked about. Particular emphasis was placed on the types of relationships together with the context in which they existed. Only 22 interviews from participants who received a positive biopsy were used for the analysis. A thematic analysis of the transcriptions enabled assessments to be made of which individuals and organisations were important and their relationships to the ego at this point in the medical process. 
The findings revealed that network structure is comprised of both general and health communication networks. General networks were those in everyday life and were determined by relationship status, employment status and geographical proximity of the men’s immediate family. Health communication networks were based around health issues and the factors which influenced these were men’s previous medical experience or whether they had medical professionals in their immediate family. 

Network content is the communication which occurs between individuals and the major theme concerns disclosure. The men’s decision about whether to disclose their prostate issues to others in their networks was based on the perceived presence of four factors in others: homophily, close proximity, strong ties and the professional or personal medical experience of others. Discerning if one or more of these factors were present in others, the men were increasingly likely to disclose about their own health. The second theme examined the tensions which existed between the benefits and barriers to disclosure. This depended on individuals and the context and were managed by the men when assessing each situation on a case-by-case basis.

Theoretical implications of this research concern the recognition and functionality of health communication networks together with the four factors of disclosure. Future research would be focused around a longitudinal study to assess the dynamic nature of egocentric networks in responding to chronic illness. In addition, networks of single men and the value of siblings could be identified. Emphasis on the practical implications involve identifying and promoting favourable opportunities for disclosure to benefit the men who can receive support from their networks.

text: Communication Networks of Men with Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer can be a difficult disease to manage but men who are diagnosed with it have networks of others around them who can be ready to offer support through the treatment. The effectiveness with which these networks can be mobilised is partly determined by the willingness of men to disclose their diagnosis. The main purpose of this research was to determine both the structure and content of the networks of men who have recently had a biopsy for prostate cancer.

This qualitative study was conducted from an egocentric network perspective in which nodes and ties are fundamental features; nodes being the individuals or groups within a network and ties the relationships between them. All men who were on the waiting list for a prostate biopsy were eligible to be included in this study. A total of 41 men participated and completed a semi-structured interview that sought to elicit who were in the men’s networks and what was talked about. Particular emphasis was placed on the types of relationships together with the context in which they existed. Only 22 interviews from participants who received a positive biopsy were used for the analysis. A thematic analysis of the transcriptions enabled assessments to be made of which individuals and organisations were important and their relationships to the ego at this point in the medical process. 
The findings revealed that network structure is comprised of both general and health communication networks. General networks were those in everyday life and were determined by relationship status, employment status and geographical proximity of the men’s immediate family. Health communication networks were based around health issues and the factors which influenced these were men’s previous medical experience or whether they had medical professionals in their immediate family. 

Network content is the communication which occurs between individuals and the major theme concerns disclosure. The men’s decision about whether to disclose their prostate issues to others in their networks was based on the perceived presence of four factors in others: homophily, close proximity, strong ties and the professional or personal medical experience of others. Discerning if one or more of these factors were present in others, the men were increasingly likely to disclose about their own health. The second theme examined the tensions which existed between the benefits and barriers to disclosure. This depended on individuals and the context and were managed by the men when assessing each situation on a case-by-case basis.

Theoretical implications of this research concern the recognition and functionality of health communication networks together with the four factors of disclosure. Future research would be focused around a longitudinal study to assess the dynamic nature of egocentric networks in responding to chronic illness. In addition, networks of single men and the value of siblings could be identified. Emphasis on the practical implications involve identifying and promoting favourable opportunities for disclosure to benefit the men who can receive support from their networks.

year: 2013

title: Language Preference in a Bi-language Digital Library

authors: Keegan, Te Taka Adrian Gregory

subjects: log analysis

abstract: This paper examines user choice of interface language in a bi-language digital library(English and Maori, the language of the indigenous people of New Zealand)/ the majority of collection documents are in Maori, and the interface is available in both Maori and English. Log analysis shows three categories of preference for interface language: primarily English, primarily Maori and bilingual(switching back and forth between the two).

text: Language Preference in a Bi-language Digital Library This paper examines user choice of interface language in a bi-language digital library(English and Maori, the language of the indigenous people of New Zealand)/ the majority of collection documents are in Maori, and the interface is available in both Maori and English. Log analysis shows three categories of preference for interface language: primarily English, primarily Maori and bilingual(switching back and forth between the two).

year: 2005