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The sphere of between: Online dialogic encounters for positive peace
No full textWithin the field of peacebuilding, the practice of dialogue in face-to-face settings has become widely utilized by practitioners and studied by Peace and Conflict scholars. However, while an argument has been made, within both the practice and study of peacebuilding, to examine and integrate technologies that serve the aims and goals of peace practice, the area of online dialogue in peacebuilding is under-researched. This qualitative thesis addresses this gap by exploring individuals’ experiences within an intentional and sustained online dialogue program to address the research question: can engaging other through dialogic encounters within an online environment enable conditions for positive peace?
The theoretical framework of this thesis draws key concepts from a holistic, tripartite notion of positive peace alongside the dialogue theories of Martin Buber and Paulo Freire. This research utilizes online ethnography as the methodological means for inquiry, drawing primarily from observations and interviews with 24 individuals involved in a sustained online dialogue program, of whom 11 were participants and 13 were facilitators. In alignment with reflexive ethnographic practices, the researcher’s voice and positionality statements are woven into the thesis in the form of cogitatio passages.
Key findings of this research revealed the connection between online dialogue and positive peace, presented in this thesis as humanization and transformation. Humanization is articulated as shifts in perceptions of other and reduction in stereotypes within sustained online dialogue encounters. Transformation is understood as conscientization and discussed as two elements: emergence and intervention. Emergence is evidenced as the articulation of previously unseen social realities, while intervention is recognized as deliberate and intentional shifts in behaviour and actions. This study contributes unique and valuable insight into the micro-level of dialogue encounters in an online context and demonstrates the relationship between positive peace and online dialogue practice for peacebuilding
The diet of New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) in southern New Zealand
No full textI used information from 574 scats and 56 regurgitants to investigate diet of New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) in southern New Zealand between June 1995 and March 1997. The five study sites were: Long Reef at Martin's Bay in northern Fiordland, Solander Island, Codfish Island, and Bench Island in the Foveaux Strait area, and The Snares. In total, identifiable remains from 38 prey taxa (identified to family, genus, or species) were found, representing about 178 kg of prey. Eighteen prey taxa not previously recorded in the diet of fur seals in the New Zealand region were found, including four squids, 14 fish, and one diving petrel. Of these species six were recorded at more than one study site, highlighting the necessity of collecting data on the diet of New Zealand fur seals throughout their range.
Fur seals fed mainly on mesopelagic schooling prey over the outer shelf and upper slope. Octopus (Octopus maorum) was the only benthic prey item important in diet. Fur seals consumed a wide variety of prey taxa, taking
advantage of seasonally and locally abundant prey species. Substantial seasonal and regional variation in prey composition was apparent. Arrow squid (Nototodarus sloanii) were an important component of prey at Long Reef in
summer, Codfish Island in winter and summer, and Bench Island in summer and spring. The lanternfish Lampanyctodes hectoris was recorded in at least one season at all study sites, and was the most numerous prey item over the whole study (49% of total number of prey items). Hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae) were important prey at Long Reef, in autumn and spring. Mackerel (Trachurus sp. probably T. murphyi) were important prey in winter at all study sites. Barracouta (Thyrsites atun) were important prey at Codfish Island and Bench Island in spring. Octopus were important prey at Codfish Island in winter and autumn, and at Bench Island in autumn.
The size of squid represented in scats was significantly smaller than those from regurgitants. Fish remains including vertebrae of barracouta and large otoliths from hoki were also found in regurgitants. The importance of arrow squid as a prey item and the presence of remains from large fish prey emphasises the need to collect regurgitants as well as scats. Composition of diet by number of prey items was substantially different to that determined from prey mass.
Results from this study were consistent with previous studies of diet using information from scats and regurgitates. Information on diet and foraging indicates that New Zealand fur seals do not compete with inshore commercial or
recreational fisheries. Overlap occurs with two of New Zealand's largest offshore fisheries, for hoki and arrow squid. Whether this constitutes significant competition is difficult to demonstrate, partly because of uncertainties about seals (e.g. abundance), but more because the consumption of fisheries species by other predators is unquantified
Characteristics and functional properties of green banana flour: An opportunity for functional bread production
Get PDFThe demand for functional food products has led to an increased interest in nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, bioactive compounds, fibre and prebiotics to be present in food formulations. Amongst the prebiotics, Resistant starch (RS) has gained more attention in recent years, due to its acknowledged health benefits such as prevention and control of colon cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Banana, the world’s most favourite fruit, is one of the richest sources of RS at early stages of ripeness, when it is green (unripe). According to some estimates, more than 100 billion bananas are consumed globally each year, with an annual per capita consumption of 20 kg. Green banana pulp is a rich source of essential phytonutrients, phenolic compounds, vitamin B group, ascorbic acid and tocopherols, while the green banana peel is a rich source of minerals, bioactive compounds and dietary fibre (DF) such as pectin, cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. Considering the nutritional value of both pulp and peel of green bananas, the production of green banana flour (GBF), which can be obtained by proper drying techniques, provides a way to preserve the nutritional benefits and increase the shelf-life of banana nutrients. White bread is the most popular bread type in the world, however, there is a growing research on fortifying bread with an array of different DF and functional compounds to take advantage of bread as a carrier of health benefiting compounds. Very few studies available that considered the effect of the GBF on technological properties, nutritional aspects and volatile fingerprint. The physicochemical and thermal properties of GBF obtained from air oven drying (ODF) at three temperatures (50, 80 and 110 °C) and freeze-drying (FDF) were compared to white wheat flour (WF). Lightness and yellowness were negatively affected by the oven temperature increment. The FDF samples exhibited higher a* and L* values and had the closest browning index to WF (P-value 0.05). While the ODF110 presented the highest pasting temperature (81.23 °C) and breakdown viscosity (7118.67 cp) amongst the GBF samples, ODF50 were the only heat-treated samples that showed similar hold, final and setback viscosity values to those found in the FDF. In terms of mineral contents, all GBF samples had higher concentrations of K, Mg, Ca and Zn compared to the WF which makes GBF as a better source of these nutrients (P-value 20% fortification level was observed. The ODF-fortified samples had higher browning index compared to control and FDF ones. The addition of both GBF types improved macro minerals (Mg, Ca, Na, K and P) without a significant change in micro minerals (Fe, Zn, and Mn). The use of FDF in bread resulted in a marked increase in both resistant and slow digestible starch content in F30 compared to ODF fortified samples at their comparable fortification levels. GC-MS-based chemical fingerprinting successfully detected more than 100 volatile compounds in the GBF fortified bread samples. Chemometrics methods used to compare the effect of GBF type in bread (FDF and ODF-fortified-bread), fortification level (10%, 20% and 30%) and bread part (crumb and crust) on the formation of volatile compounds. Furan (furfural, 2-furanmethanol), Strecker aldehydes (2- methyl butanal and 3-methylbutanal) and ketone (2-undecanone) were the most abundant volatiles in crust while alcohol (1-hexanol and 1-heptanol) and ester (ester butanoic acid ethyl) abundant in the breadcrumb. The level of fortification had a significant impact on the formation of 3-methyl-butanal (P-value < 0.05). Furthermore, bread made with freeze-dried GBF had more distinguished ‘banana-like’ flavour due to the presence of ethyl ester butanoic acid and 2-undecanone, while bread made with ODF represented more Maillard-related compounds which could signify a wood malty aroma impression. It can be concluded that fortification of bread with the GBF achieved from freeze drying had a more desirable results from technological and nutritional points of view. Although between 10% and 20% fortification level there was no clear difference, the 30% bread samples showed a high value nutritious bread with distinctive volatile flavour. Overall, the type of the drying method of GBF preparation had an impact on developing discriminant volatiles compared to bread part and fortification level
Impact of light and water flow on the responses of coralline algae to ocean acidification
Get PDFCoralline algae are globally abundant components of benthic habitats and play foundational roles in coastal ecosystems such as temperate kelp forests and coral or rocky reefs, where they are often the dominant substrate cover. The emerging understanding of the sensitivity of coralline algae to ocean acidification (OA) has emphasised the need to determine the natural variability of parameters that could influence growth and reproduction of coralline algae in situ to improve experimentation as well as predictions of climate change outcomes for this group.
To identify spatiotemporal variability of seawater pH inside a Macrocystis pyrifera kelp forest, typical for southern New Zealand with high coralline algae cover, long term (> 1 year) pH, irradiance and temperature data were collected. Seawater pH was highly variable (pHT 7.45–8.49) and exhibited strong diel and seasonal differences that were associated with metabolic activity of the surrounding macroalgal community and linked to peaks of photosynthesis and respiration. These results show that coralline algae inhabit a highly variable environment, with occasional pH minima lower than end of the century predictions for the open ocean. Coralline recruitment peaked between late autumn and winter, when irradiance reaching the benthic communities was up to 85 % lower than during the summer months.
Despite the ecological importance of coralline algae in low light environments and their vulnerability to OA, there is limited understanding of how the interplay between irradiance and seawater pH influences coralline growth and reproduction. To determine these impacts, a 212-day experiment exposed coralline communities growing on artificial substrates to two pH levels (pHT 8.05 – present-day/ pHT 7.65 – OA scenario) and a gradient of daily light dose (0.35, 0.17 and 0.1 mol m-2 d-1), based on the light environment typical at depth during the months of peak recruitment. Coralline growth was highest in the intermediate irradiance treatments and growth was reduced in response to lowered seawater pH with net dissolution occurring in the lowest light treatments, while communities in the pHT 8.05 conditions continued to grow. Furthermore, recruitment resulting from these communities in the OA treatment was reduced by more than half. The reduction in recruitment in response to OA was amplified under reduced irradiance, and recruitment was near zero in the lowest light treatment at pHT 7.65. The decline in growth and recruitment was attributed to limited capacity to counteract the energetically costly OA induced dissolution. This shows that coralline communities may be increasingly at risk from OA in habitats where irradiance is low, such as cryptic habitats or at depth, where they represent the main substrate cover.
It has been proposed that habitats of reduced water flow may act as refuges for coralline algae, due to the possibility to metabolically increase pH in the immediate surrounding of the tissue when water flow is reduced. In a 220-day experiment the combined impacts of three flow rates and two seawater pH treatments (pHT 8.05 – present day/ pHT 7.65 – OA scenario) on the growth and recruitment of coralline communities were examined. Under the present-day pH scenario, flow treatments had little effect, while in the OA-scenario flow-dependent responses were evident. While growth of coralline communities was heavily reduced in the lowest flow treatment, coralline growth did not exhibit the same decrease in response to decreased seawater pH in the two higher flow treatments. Furthermore, lowered seawater pH and reduced flow synergistically decreased the number of recruits successfully establishing in the treatments. Reductions in flow exacerbated rather than ameliorate the effects of OA on coralline algae.
These results show that irradiance and water flow can exert strong influences on coralline algae under OA, with high susceptibility of coralline recruitment.
The effects of catalytic innovation on the creation of social impact
Get PDFSocial innovation (SI) is increasingly being appraised to possess the potential to provide innovative interventions to confront complex and interdependent social problems in both developing and developed economies. SI has also been described as a complex phenomenon that combines two diverse concepts, i.e., social and innovation. Hence, several conceptualisations of SI have emerged in the literature, leading to ambiguity and lack of a robust strategy to create SI.
Drawing on entrepreneurial orientation, top management support, and stakeholder engagement literature strands, this study conceptualises and examines the antecedents and consequences of disruptive innovation for social change. Pragmatism as a research paradigm provides philosophical support for the integration of otherwise distinct research methods, i.e., qualitative and quantitative methods, allowing for grounded theory method and a multistage multiple regression to be combined within this study.
The study adopts a sequential mixed methods research (MMR) approach which includes, in the first phase, a grounded theory method to collect and analyse in-depth exploratory interview data from CEOs and top management executives of 20 social organisations in four countries, with the purpose of testing hypotheses between innovation management logics and creating social impact. In the second phase, the hypotheses are tested on a sample of 71 social organisations in 23 countries.
This study finds that entrepreneurial orientation, management support, and stakeholder engagement are antecedents of catalytic innovation. The results reveal that location of headquarters, type, and size of social organisations play a significant role in the creation of social innovation. The findings also show that for-profit social organisations have better economic performance, while not-for-profit social organisations have better social performance. Lastly, the results reveal that greater social performance may lead to greater social impact, while focus on economic performance may reduce the level of social impact achieved by these organisations. Additionally, the study reveals challenges and risks that social organisations face when creating social innovation, and proposes a framework that may help mitigate these risks and challenges.
The study offers a threefold contribution to social innovation literature, methodology, and implications for practitioners. The study advances the discourse of entrepreneurial orientation, top management support, and stakeholder engagement in the social innovation literature. The study also gives credence to claims justifying the applicability and compatibility of qualitative and quantitative methods within a study to provide robust and satisfactory answers to research questions. The results exemplify some of the advantages of MMR approach, that it is an appropriate research method in conceptualising antecedents of catalytic innovation. Lastly, the study provides recommendations to practitioners within the social organisation and social innovation space
NZDep2018 analysis of census 2018 variables - DHB11: Whanganui
No full textFor further information about data sources, interpretation of the graphs, and cautions, please see the separate Introduction Chapter
All data relating to the 2018 census is provided by Stats NZ, https://www.stats.govt.nz/
NZDep2018 analysis of census 2018 variables - DHB19: South Canterbury
No full textFor further information about data sources, interpretation of the graphs, and cautions, please see the separate Introduction Chapter
All data relating to the 2018 census is provided by Stats NZ, https://www.stats.govt.nz/
NZDep2018 analysis of census 2018 variables - TA01: Far North District
No full textFor further information about data sources, interpretation of the graphs, and cautions, please see the separate Introduction Chapter
All data relating to the 2018 census is provided by Stats NZ, https://www.stats.govt.nz/
NZDep2018 analysis of census 2018 variables - TA33: New Plymouth District
No full textFor further information about data sources, interpretation of the graphs, and cautions, please see the separate Introduction Chapter
All data relating to the 2018 census is provided by Stats NZ, https://www.stats.govt.nz/
NZDep2018 analysis of census 2018 variables - TA38: Rangitikei District
No full textFor further information about data sources, interpretation of the graphs, and cautions, please see the separate Introduction Chapter
All data relating to the 2018 census is provided by Stats NZ, https://www.stats.govt.nz/