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Co-sleeping assemblages: What shapes the co-sleeping practices in mother-baby dyads in Aotearoa New Zealand?
No full textCo-sleeping, where caregiver-infant dyads share a sleeping surface, is a customary practice across many global cultures, including within Māori and Pacifica communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Although co-sleeping offers many potential health benefits, such as strengthening mother-baby bonding, facilitating breastfeeding, and promoting both maternal and infant wellbeing, it challenges dominant Western norms and raises concerns about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The limited research and absence of clear guidelines have created a dilemma for mothers wishing to co-sleep safely. This study addresses that gap by exploring co-sleeping practices among 16 mother-baby dyads in Aotearoa New Zealand. Drawing on feminist new materialism and assemblage theory, data were collected through in-depth interviews and two-week digital diaries to capture the dynamic nature of co-sleeping encounters. A new materialist analytical approach revealed that co-sleeping emerges not solely from individual choice but from the complex interplay of material arrangements, embodied experiences, and institutional forces. Three key paradoxical dynamics emerged from the analysis. First, vigilant rest describes how mothers report improved sleep quality through heightened awareness of their infants. Second, the safety paradox illustrates how mothers develop sophisticated safety strategies while contending with conflicting healthcare advice. Third, the good mother paradox exposes tensions between emerging embodied expertise and pervasive social pressures, which affect both maternal wellbeing and the nurturing of strong mother-baby bonds. Overall, the findings demonstrate that co-sleeping is a dynamic process of negotiation among bodies, spaces, materials, and social forces, not a simple choice between separate or shared sleep. Mothers actively reshape their practices through creative adaptations and resistance, challenging regulatory pressures while fostering deeper maternal bonds and wellbeing. These insights inform both theoretical discussions on early parenting practices and practical, culturally responsive strategies for infant sleep safety within Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique healthcare and cultural context.</p
Climate Evolved: Architectural Morphologies For A +5ºC Future - Tested through the design of a community event centre
No full textNew Zealand’s built environment exhibits a profound systemic malformation (Glavovic, 2010) in confronting climate disasters, characterised by entrenched resilience deficits (Campbell, 2025), sustainability myopia (Bianchi, 2023), and vernacular erosion (McCarthy, 2022). This trifecta of failure manifests in regulatory frameworks prioritising short-term life safety over long-term adaptation, an over-reliance on imported Eurocentric typologies fundamentally misaligned with local bioclimatic realities, and the marginalisation of Indigenous place-based knowledge. The resulting “rebuild cycle” locks communities into pathways of escalating vulnerability, as evidenced by repeated maladaptive reconstruction in high-risk zones like post-Cyclone Gabrielle Hawke’s Bay (NZME, 2023).This thesis confronts this crisis by proposing the commercial-scale community event centre as a transformative model for climate resilience. Moving beyond conventional shelter paradigms, this research argues such facilities—through inherent spatial flexibility, deep community embeddedness, and design potential—offer a unique capacity to bridge immediate disaster response and long-term adaptation. The design proposition rigorously synthesises modern engineering with Māori design frameworks (whanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga) and hybrid Pacific vernacular models (e.g., Fiji’s vale ni soqosoqo - Krishnamurthy, 2021), fostering cultural legitimacy alongside physical robustness.Grounded in an exhaustive literature review and targeting a “worst-case scenario” site embodying converging multi-hazard threats (coastal inundation, seismic risk, extreme wind), socio-ecological vulnerability, and cultural significance under threat, the research employs an iterative design methodology.The developed design, for a Otatara Pā event centre, stress-tests core design challenges: Microclimate-driven design countering vernacular erosion through orientation, passive ventilation, and adaptive shading.Multi-layered hazard mitigation, integrating Nature-Based Solutions (constructed wetlands, living embankments - Ayoobi, 2024) and flood-adaptive ground floors.Programmatic fluidity enabling seamless transition from daily community hub to emergency shelter/triage/recovery centre.Regenerative circular systems targeting water, energy, and food sovereignty (Zari, 2018; Reed, 2007).Co-design governance models ensuring community ownership and equity (e.g., Iwi Co-Stewardship - NZ Local Govt. Journal, 2023).At the conclusion of this thesis, a critical reflection is put forward. It acknowledges the design’s success in establishing a synergistic resilience paradigm but highlights gaps requiring future development: detailed resolution of emergency interior functionality (partition systems, surge capacity logistics), structural/façade engineering for specific multi-hazard loads, and quantified circular ecology metrics. The thesis concludes that redefining resilience demands moving beyond code compliance to embrace culturally grounded, ecologically attuned, and adaptively detailed community infrastructure. It ultimately tests through design, an actionable blueprint where vernacular wisdom and contemporary innovation converge to create dynamic, multi-scalar resilience hubs capable of anticipating, absorbing, and recovering within Aotearoa’s escalating climate changed reality.</p
A Never-Ending Story? The Electoral Reform Process in Indonesia
No full textThis thesis commences with a fundamental inquiry: why has Indonesia failed to achieve the simplified party system that its political elites consider essential for democratic consolidation?After the reforms of 1998, Indonesia emerged as one of the largest democracies in the world. In the initial years following these reforms, the consolidation of the new regime appeared to be making progress; however, recent trends indicate significant democratic backsliding. This thesis identifies a pivotal objective among the Indonesian political elite—a 'simplified party system.' But despite a reduction in the total number of political parties, the effective number remains relatively high. Paradoxically, the larger parties, which are expected to constitute the core of government coalitions, have experienced a decline in both electoral support and internal cohesion since the advent of democratisation.Utilising a process-tracing methodology, this thesis evaluates the relative explanatory power of two propositions: first, the failure to consolidate the party system results from path dependency and the entrenched political and cultural context, constituting a structural problem. Second, the failure of consolidation stems from inadequate elite coordination resulting from partisan self-interest and cognitive biases, presenting a problem of agency.It reveals that elite coordination often manifests as compromises that placate diverse interests without effectively resolving them, leading to unintended consequences that adversely impact democratic processes. The study concludes that the interactions between the factors identified in both propositions exacerbate the ongoing challenges to democratic consolidation in Indonesia.</p
The Grain of Things: From Epicurean Atomism to Granular Synthesis Technology and Composition
No full textAtomic theories are deeply rooted in many sound art practices. Originating from philosophical thought in ancient Greece, atomism evolved into the modern era through advancements in scientific observations and modelling. In turn, many researchers and artists in the past century have developed numerous musical practices and techniques drawing on atomism – such as granular synthesis.This thesis explores my work in granular synthesis music technology and composition inspired by the atomism of Epicureanism – one of the ancient Greek atomist philosophies. This begins with a two-part literature review. First is a review of granular synthesis and its parent field, microsound, focused on musical interpretations of atomism. Second is an analysis of Epicurean atomic philosophy and Epicurean-inspired sound artworks; the Epicurean poem 'The Nature of Things', by Lucretius, is pinpointed as a key inspiration source for both myself and other artists in the field.In the chapters that follow, these two domains merge as the foundation for my creative research project, applying atomic concepts to both technology development and composition. My collection of custom-built granular synthesisers is presented, showcasing their novel deconstructive techniques for controlling sound grain streams at a per-grain (‘atomic’) level. Then, my portfolio’s two major granular soundscape compositions – made using my new synthesisers – are analysed. These works depict journeys through earthly and cosmic environments inspired by Lucretius’ poetic descriptions of reality and its elemental origins. Most importantly, these works highlight my project’s core atomic interpretation – sound grains as metaphors for Epicurean atoms.</p
Exploring Inclusive Design Testing Process: A Case Study of Low Vision Communities in Indonesia
No full textEnsuring inclusion in participatory design remains context-specific, with accessible design testing largely dependent on designers' subjective experience and understanding. Using Research through Design approach, this study examines how UX designers adapt qualitative design methods to enhance accessibility for participants with low vision while ensuring meaningful inclusion.I critically analysed existing design precedents to establish foundational knowledge of participatory design with participants living with impairments for thoughtful power-sharing during data collection. Building on this theoretical foundation, I conducted primary research with 10 participants across two Indonesian communities, employing three adapted qualitative design methods to explore methodological variations and capture insights about inclusive participatory design practices.Through reflexive analysis of my research process, I identified four key themes crucial for inclusive participatory design: ethical conduct, designer positionality and power, facilitation skills, and access intimacy. The research reveals that effective inclusive design requires designers to move beyond empathy towards developing compassion and what Stolterman (2008) terms being "prepared-for-action." This thesis contributes practical principles for adapting qualitative design methods that enhance accessibility while maintaining rigorous data collection. It offers designers a framework for creating genuinely inclusive participatory experiences requiring relational sensitivity and environmental awareness.</p
Practical Wisdom: Advice from public library practitioners and its relevance in a post-COVID world
No full textWith the professionalisation of librarianship in the 1800s (Miska, 1988), formal expectations emerged regarding the knowledge and training required of librarians. Since then, professional education in librarianship has expanded globally, with curricula evolving to reflect the needs of each era (e.g., Batool et al., 2023). Continuing professional development has also become a core component of ethical and professional standards (e.g., ALIA (2024) and ALA (2021) codes of ethics; LIANZA code of professional conduct, 2003). As a result, research and scholarly communication in library and information studies have developed into established fields of inquiry (e.g., Tait & Pierson, 2022; Goulding & Campbell-Meier, 2024).
Despite this, the role of professional advice from practicing librarians across career stages remains under-explored. Advice grounded in the collective lived experience of practitioners offers valuable insights and practical wisdom that can inform both new professionals and the broader discourse on professional identity.
This paper presents findings from interviews conducted in 2019 with thirty-nine public librarians in Aotearoa New Zealand. Participants responded to the question: “What do you think the next generation of librarians will need to know, or what advice would you give them?”. This question served as a reflective conclusion to broader discussions on professional identity, allowing participants to articulate insights shaped by their experiences. These responses reveal the interplay between professional identity and practical knowledge, where each informs and reinforces the other (e.g., Pierson, 2023).
Following closely after interviews occurred, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted global action. Librarianship was also impacted by accelerated change and adaptation to service provision. Public librarians worldwide responded by developing new procedures for physical resource access and expanding digital services during lockdowns and social distancing (e.g., Johnston, 2020). This paper offers a unique comparative analysis of pre-pandemic professional advice within the context of post-pandemic librarianship, viewed through the lens of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Key findings include thematic categories of advice and an assessment of their continued relevance in a post-COVID professional landscape. These insights can inform future curriculum design and continuing professional development initiatives.
References
American Library Association. (2021). Professional ethics. http://www.ala.org/tools/ethics
Australian Library and Information Association. (2024). ALIA code of ethics for the Australian
LIS workforce.
https://read.alia.org.au/alia-code-ethics-australian-lis-workforce-long-version
Batool, S.H., Bullard, J., Campbell-Meier, J., Fourie, I., Jimenez, A. & Rutter, S. (2023). Global
perspectives on inclusive curricula: Places, practices and pedagogy. Proceedings of the
Association for Information Science and Technology, 60, 742-746.
https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.851
Goulding, A., & Campbell-Meier, J. (2025). Continuing Professional Development of Library
Staff. In D. Baker & L. Ellis (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Libraries, Librarianship, and
Information Science (First Edition) (pp. 457-466). Academic Press.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95689-5.00120-6
Johnston, J. (2020, May 1). Demand for online library content soars during pandemic. CBC
News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/libraries-online-servi
ces-covid-19-1.5551682
Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa. (2003). Code of professional
conduct. https://lianza.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Code-of-Profes
sional-Conduct-08_19.pdf
Miksa, F. L. (1988). The Columbia School of Library Economy, 1887-1888. Libraries &
Culture, 23(3), 249-280. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25542068
Pierson, C. M. (2023). The role of identity moderators and perceived degree of identity
separation in librarian professional identity development. Journal of Librarianship and
Information Science, 56(2), 353-368. https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006221142311
Tait, E. & Pierson, C. M. (2022). Artificial intelligence and robots in libraries: Opportunities in
LIS curriculum for preparing the librarians of tomorrow. Journal of the Australian
Library and Information Association, 71(3), 256-274.
https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2022.208111
Problematizing Leader–Member Exchange (LMX): The Case Of Ambivalent Relationships
No full textLeader–Member Exchange (LMX) is widely regarded as a “relationship-based approach” to leadership. However, the understanding of relationships is skewed and incomplete within this theoretical framework. It overlooks the nonlinear development of relationships, which may not evolve into mature and stable dyads but instead devolve and end. It also discounts negative relational experiences and only accounts for positive bases of exchange and association. Finally, it neglects follower perspectives. While data are mainly collected from followers, the underlying assumptions and conceptualization represent leaders and their worldviews.This research challenges three core assumptions underpinning the LMX literature and proposes an alternative set of assumptions to expand the study of leader–follower relationships. The primary objective is to facilitate a balanced and comprehensive inquiry, as well as open new avenues for research. The aim is thus both corrective and generative.This research offers a conceptual critique, supported by an empirical study. Conceptually, a problematizing review reveals how foundational LMX texts formalized leaders’ perspectives and scoped relationships within a narrow frame of reference. Consequently, relational instability, negativity, and follower perspectives were either missed or discounted. Empirically, a mixed methods study extends insights and substantiates problematization. It uses ambivalent relationships as a demonstrative case. Ambivalent relationships are marked by fluctuating dynamics and opposing sentiments toward a dyadic partner.An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was led by the major qualitative component. Interview and focus group data collected from two countries yielded a three-stage process model of ambivalent leader–follower relationships. The stages were marked by changing attributions, uncertainty, negative emotional states, psychological strain, and eventual turnover. Subsequently, a three-wave quantitative survey was conducted. Structural equation modeling confirmed that ambivalence was positively related to followers’ turnover intention via burnout.Several contributions are offered. Most importantly, this research provides alternative assumptions acknowledging relational instability, negativity, and necessity of follower perspectives. Additionally, it proposes new avenues of research, including the use of qualitative methods, particularly process strategies, and an alternative relationship classification system. This research also makes an ancillary contribution to the literature on ambivalent relationships.</p
Intergenerational Trauma and Disaster Response: Tamil Diaspora Mothers and Daughters in New Zealand’s Disaster Management Initiatives
No full textAbstract This thesis explores how Sri Lankan Tamil mothers and daughters living in Aotearoa New Zealand understand disaster preparedness, and how these perspectives are shaped by bicultural identity and intergenerational trauma. While preparedness is often framed as a technical or individual responsibility, this study positions it as a culturally embedded practice, influenced by memory and gendered roles within diaspora families.The research was guided by critical realism and narrative theory, which together allowed for an exploration of both the underlying structures shaping preparedness and the meanings participants attached to their lived experiences. The study included eight participants. Semi-structured narrative interviews were conducted with Sri Lankan Tamil mothers and daughters, recruited through targeted and snowball sampling within the Wellington Tamil Society. Interviews were held in participants’ homes, conducted in Tamil or English according to preference, and transcribed and translated by the researcher. This insider–outsider positionality, as a Tamil woman born in New Zealand, shaped the dynamics of trust, disclosure, and interpretation throughout the research process. Reflexivity and ethical vigilance were maintained through supervision, cultural sensitivity, and self-care practices, acknowledging the emotional weight of intergenerational trauma narratives.Reflexive thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes. First, the negotiation of bicultural identity illustrated how daughters balanced cultural expectations at home with New Zealand norms, often resulting in hybrid identities that informed their approach to preparedness. Second, intergenerational trauma was transmitted emotionally but not practically, creating what this study identifies as a “trauma narrative gap” where daughters inherited vigilance without explicit strategies. Third, preparedness was shaped by community, language, and gender, with mothers framing readiness through lived survival and spirituality, while daughters acted as cultural and linguistic brokers within their families.The findings contribute to theories of identity development, trauma transmission, and disaster preparedness, while also highlighting the structural disconnect between New Zealand’s individualised preparedness frameworks and collectivist Tamil orientations. The study concludes that disaster strategies must be trauma-informed, culturally grounded, linguistically accessible, and responsive to gendered experiences. Such approaches would bridge institutional gaps and strengthen resilience by leveraging the existing trust and collective capacities of migrant and refugee communities.</p
‘I’m thinking of all these things, all these relationships’ Childbearing and early parenting experiences of Autistic people in Aotearoa New Zealand: A constructivist grounded theory study
No full textThe journey from pregnancy to early parenthood is daunting for any parent. For Autistic people, this transition is even more complex as they contend with ongoing or emerging sensory, communication, and social differences, which are still poorly understood by healthcare practitioners. International research on this subject has grown steadily, reflecting both the increased interest in Autistic wellbeing across the lifespan and the rising public awareness of the late diagnosis of women. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the unique maternity system is built on the principles of partnership and informed choice. However, there is a dearth of local data regarding the true size of the Autistic population, and whether their perinatal needs are being adequately addressed. This project explored the childbearing and early parenting experience of this underserved and overlooked cohort. It illuminated the processes by which they navigated this period and interacted with Aotearoa’s maternity services. Kathy Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory was utilised to analyse data and co-construct theory with participants. A total of 15 Autistic mothers/parents who gave birth in Aotearoa New Zealand between 2012 and 2022 were recruited and interviewed via Zoom or email, following principles of inclusive research recommended by den Houting (2021) and Chown et al. (2017).The Autistic birthing experience elucidated in this study shares many of the hallmarks found in international research, including sensory hypersensitivity and misunderstandings exacerbated by poor practitioner knowledge of autism. The substantive theory, Domains of Protection, describes the decision-making and support-seeking strategies utilised by participants. The specific domains are Protection of the Body, Protection of the Mind, and Protection of and by Others, representing participant self-determination in prioritising their bodily autonomy, mental wellbeing, and the needs of others. The positioning of participants within the domains revealed individual approaches to personal and family health, integrating their perceptions of control, sensory thresholds, executive functioning overwhelm, and their limited means of securing effective support. Participants moved between these domains throughout and between pregnancies as they progressed through pregnancy and early parenting, continually reevaluating their expectations and plans with their actual outcomes. The local and international contributions of this thesis are intertwined. On a global scale, this research is unique for its investigation of Autistic pregnancy care within a service that is based on continuity, partnership and informed consent. Participants reported varied benefits from midwifery-led, continuity of care models. While they were able to avoid some of the failures in care reported internationally, miscommunication and experiences of unsupportive care were not uncommon. Locally, there is a need for a multi-level response. First, for systematic changes that prioritises inclusive, neurodivergent-affirming practices to meet the needs of Autistic parents and their multiply-disabled/neurodivergent whānau. Second, it also illuminates the need for local investment in research into autism and pregnancy and for the inclusion of midwives and other perinatal care providers as priority groups to receive advance training on neurodivergence.</p
Beyond The Cycle: Unveiling The Subjective Experience of Menstruation and Menstrual Pain Through Body Mapping
No full textMenstrual pain is more than the occasional cramp, but winds its way through emotional responses, daily rhythms and social relations in ways that biomedical descriptions tend to miss. Despite its complexity, there has been limited investigation into how those who menstruate interpret and communicate these complex experiences, meaning health practitioners lack comprehensive direction. This thesis fills that gap by working with 8 participants in body-mapping workshops, facilitated in Aotearoa New Zealand, where creative visual methods enabled the analyzed of pain narratives. Utilizing feminist theory, and social constructivism as a theoretical framework, data were obtained during the interactive sessions with participant, using a combination of, drawing, coloring, annotation and reflective group discussion. Workshops were audio and video recorded and digitalized, and maps analysed through an interpretative thematic approach which transcends descriptive codes to reveal hidden layers of meanings and tensions. Three paradoxical dynamics developed through analysis. Theme1, Pain beyond the Physical shows the ways pain emanates from the belly to infuse study, work, and relationships, distorting options and sense of self. That relentless calculus between hiding one’s discomfort in order to keep up appearances, to keep them from worrying, and sending out faint signals, those tiny rituals or even gestures, to solicit care is at the heart of Theme 2, Keep Going, Keep Hiding. Theme 3, Solo Navigation speaks to the isolation of self-diagnosis and self-management, as people fumble around trying experimental medical, creative and self-care techniques, in the absence of definitive help. As a whole, these results suggest that menstrual suffering is not an isolated affair but a dynamic process of negotiation between bodies, spaces, materials, and social forces. By focusing on embodied experiences, this study provides new perspectives for participatory health methodology and practical, culturally situated recommendations for acknowledging and responding to the multiple dimensions of menstrual pain.</p
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