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What is good practice in aged healthcare provision? A literature review of international studies informed by cultural context: Volume I: The Aotearoa New Zealand perspective : Executive summary
No full textWhat do nursing and healthcare students need to know, and to be, to provide exemplary services to older people? The global rise in longevity means that this demographic is making a growing demand on the health sector, yet specialist training in aged healthcare attracts fewer applicants than almost any other area (Gawande, 2014), and “personnel to meet the demand is not projected to keep pace” (King et al., 2011, p. 9). In Aotearoa New Zealand we too face this challenge – but we can also make a significant contribution to the discussion, drawing on an environment which promotes health, physical activity and wellbeing, and our unique bicultural heritage which blends indigenous and western perspectives to how we respect and support older people. Identifying and sharing good practice in aged healthcare provision and education is the very heart of this project. In 2019, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology formed a partnership with Chinese higher education providers to progress teaching, learning and research collaborations related to aged healthcare. The long-term objective is to inform higher education programme development, training and qualifications which draw on the cultural contexts of both sets of international partners. The Sino-New Zealand Aged Healthcare Association (SNZAH) currently has 15 New Zealand members including academic staff, medical and healthcare practitioners, and aged care professionals. Chinese universities and technical institutes who have, or wish to join the Association include Chengdu University, China Medical University, Jinjiang College (part of Sichuan University) and Peking University
Short Communication: Observation of western honeybee (Apis mellifera) foraging urediniospores from myrtle-rust infected maire tawake (Syzygium maire), Ōwairaka/Mt Albert, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, New Zealand,
No full textFollowing the detection of myrtle rust disease, caused by the rust fungus Austropuccinia psidii, in New Zealand in May 2017, concerns were raised that western honeybees (Apis mellifera) might forage for and collect Austropuccinia spores. Whilst inspecting cultivated maire tawake (Syzygium maire) trees on the Mt Albert Unitec New Zealand campus infected with myrtle rust, we observed honeybees collecting the urediniospores of this rust. Here we document this observation with images to add further evidence that honeybees present a potentially serious vector in the spread of this rust throughout New Zealand
The effectiveness of the Incredible Years parenting programme for Tongan parents
No full textRESEARCH QUESTIONS
What were the participants’ experiences of being parented/parenting growing up in Tonga and here in New Zealand?
What are the experiences of Tongan parents participating in Tongan and mainstream Incredible Years parenting courses?
What are the ways of improving the effectiveness of the Incredible Years parenting course for Tongan parents?
ABSTRACT
There is a dearth of literature and research about the effectiveness of parenting programmes for Pacific people here in New Zealand and in the Islands. The use of physical punishment by Tongan parents as a core disciplinary practice is concerning. As a result, the parents who migrate from Tonga with their Tongan way of parenting to a country like New Zealand are challenged by New Zealand beliefs about parenting and laws prohibiting the physical punishment of children. For this study, I wanted to see if the Incredible Years parenting programme completed by Tongan parents can be effective in helping them find alternatives to physical punishment and other forms of punishment. This study used talanoa methodology with 15 participants from the Auckland region – young parents, middle-aged parents and grandparents. Eleven of the participants were born in Tonga and four were New-Zealand-born. This thesis aims to explore the participants’ experiences of parenting and being parented growing up in Tonga and New Zealand. The overall focus of this study was the effectiveness of the Incredible Years parenting programme for the participants who attended the Tongan and mainstream Incredible Years parenting programmes. Moreover, this study aims to suggest some other ways of improving the effectiveness of the Incredible Years parenting programme for Tongan parents.
A thematic analysis of the data was used to identify the reality of the participants’ experiences. The key themes were the tension between the traditional Tongan way of parenting, with its high level of community support, and the challenges of New Zealand environment and the anti-smacking law; the experiences of the participants as children and parents with regard to punishment, bonding and the changing roles of parenting; participants’ perspectives on the value and outcomes of the Incredible Years parenting programme and challenges of integrating the programme and anga fakatonga (the Tongan way). The findings highlight that Tongan parents struggled with the critique of the use of punishment as this was often seen as the way of ensuring respect for the status of the Tongan way of doing things and respect for Tongan culture. However, the high value of the Incredible Years parenting programme was acknowledged by participants in that there were positive parenting tools that could enhance cultural identity and status. Tongan traditions such as kali loa (a metaphor for a bedtime process of storytelling and sharing) that could be embedded in future Incredible Years programmes for Tongan parents. The implications for future adjustment of the Incredible Years parenting with a Tongan cultural framework are discussed
Designing a dynamic sustainable system: 7 strategies to empower fashion SMEs and start-ups
No full textThe area of sustainability is enormous and challenging to be covered by one single profession - here I propose a human centered design approach of problem-solving that starts with people and ends with innovative solutions that are relevant and tailor-made for their needs and can go a long way into building a design led strategy/solution. I strongly believe design to be a revolutionary tool, designers work in many different contexts; I decided to focus this research on fashion designers. As fashion industry is known to be notoriously wasteful while promoting consumerism and being the second highest consumer of non-renewable resources in the world (Charpail, 2017), it becomes imperative to know what the new generation of fashion designers perceive and understand to be sustainable in fashion and otherwise. They are the future and their Small-Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Start-ups promise the power to change for a better fashion industry. SMEs and Start-ups are widely recognized as playing an important and substantial role in the economy while generating new jobs and these enterprises hold the desire to bring a change with their innovative ideas, which is what I target in this research. Fashion is a global industry, and sustainability is a global issue, I stand in a unique position as part of two entirely different countries India and New Zealand. These contrasting cultural and geographical dynamics provide a unique perspective relevant to a global market to hopefully bridge the gap of sustainability in fashion. Conception of a design led framework that can provide fair assistance to SMEs and Start-ups to build an environmentally sustainable as well as a financially sustainable enterprise which is user centric with people at the core is the intent of my research and is presented in the form of a Self-Sustainability Evaluation Toolkit (SSET) inspired by IDEO method cards. SSET assists in creating a transparent communication with all stakeholders and is a glocal product+service - non-restricted by the boundaries of nations
Evaluating the application of Māori design principles to urban neighbourhood development projects to develop a Kaupapa Māori design framework and assessment tools
No full textAIMS/PURPOSE:
This paper discusses and evaluates the application of Te Aranga and other kaupapa Māori design principles (principles derived from a Māori worldview and incorporating Māori knowledge and values) to urban neighbourhood development projects. By critically interrogating the application of established design principles, this project seeks to the evaluate their spatial application and to assess actual vs anticipated social outcomes. This study aims to support developers, designers, and planners working alongside mana whenua (local iwi or hapū who maintain customary authority over an identified area) and mataawaka communities (Māori living within in a given region who do not belong to a mana whenua group) to develop better spatial design processes, and to deliver better social outcomes at a neighbourhood scale.
METHODOLOGY/APPROACH:
The research involves the development of a formal method of evaluation to assess the spatial and social outcomes realized through the application of Māori design principles to urban neighbourhood development/regeneration projects. Through the testing phase, a mixture of quantitative (through onsite observation and analysis of desktop material, such as master plans and architectural drawings) and qualitative (through the post-occupancy evaluation walk-through interviews with residents and key informants) data will be collected and analysed using the prototype assessment tool.
The research has four distinct phases:
(i) Synthesis of existing design principles to develop a kaupapa Māori neighbourhood design framework
(ii) Development of a prototype spatial analysis/observation tool
(iii) Development of a prototype post-occupancy evaluation tool
(iv) Testing tools using built examples.
RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS:
Māori design principles, such as Te Aranga, have the potential to significantly impact future neighbourhood regeneration and housing developments. Through a better understanding of implementation/application, methodologies and assessment tools which are aligned with a values-based approach can be developed to inform more culturally attuned spatial design processes and outcomes
"I see me”: embedding of Mātauranga Māori in Social Practice curriculum
No full textBackground information (BSP)
Key principles
Tika, pono, aroha (Being just, courageous and intentional)
Embedding of matauranga Māori
When I see m
Disposal or treatment : future considerations for solid waste from the construction and demolition industry
No full textEach year more than 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste are produced globally. The greatest worldwide users of resources in terms of raw materials and energy are from the construction sector. Construction, demolition and excavation waste accounts for a large share of municipal waste and the majority of this waste goes to landfill. Worldwide, the proportion of landfilled construction, demolition and excavation waste compared with the total amount of waste is variable from 13% to 60%+. Many developed countries are now facing issues with land capacity and are less flexible in their approach to solid waste treatment. New Zealand is a relatively young and geographically isolated country with enough available land to be able to trial new options for waste treatment and currently has seven different types of landfills, including construction and demolition and cleanfill options. Biodegradable substances can be treated via processes such as composting and anaerobic digestion, but substances which are either hazardous or inorganic in structure are generally considered to be untreatable and therefore reduce practical options to landfill or incineration. As any potential treatment in landfills is limited by less than optimal environmental conditions, their primary purpose is simply to hold and isolate waste. Incineration has high energy costs and does not support a low carbon economy. As neither of these options present an ideal long-term solution to solve this waste problem, this paper will consider sustainable options for the disposal and treatment of construction, demolition and excavation waste with a focus on hazardous materials. It will consider New Zealand as a potential case study location for trialling solid waste treatment options whilst discussing waste issues in other countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. It will also identify barriers which may prevent the treatment of solid waste including considerations for protecting public health and safety
Ngā kite hauora nō Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Pourewa Gardens : blending Māori tradition and contemporary design towards a healthier future for Ngā Uri o Tūperiri
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How can mātauranga Māori guide the development of a contemporary multi-purpose garden for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei?
ABSTRACT:
Gardens were critical to Māori survival in Aotearoa New Zealand since their arrival from the Pacific. Spiritual beliefs and ritual practice combined with plant and cultivation knowledge developed as extensive gardens were maintained and protected. Despite the importance of gardening for Māori, neither traditional precolonial nor contemporary gardens for food production and health have been undertaken comprehensively in post-colonial Aotearoa New Zealand in recent times by a Māori entity as a means of sharing their knowledge and practices.
This new venture explores the context of cultural knowledge of environment, nature and gardens which developed over time, in order to create an ethnobotany garden. Adopting a kaupapa Māori, he awa whiria, braided river research, and research by design methodologies, the project sets out to create a garden at Pourewa, Auckland, which includes a nursery, traditional gardens, plants for special uses, and vegetables to feed the local community. Research examined precedent examples of other Indigenous peoples, and the selection and use of plants for health and healing (rongoā), as well as the history, context and practices of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.
The design is for a visionary place to encourage traditional arts, garden practice and knowledge exchange with community and visitors. The new garden will enable leadership and communication of Māori garden and traditional arts practices for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei
Research report : youth volunteering in Auckland, 2019
No full textPREFACE:
This research was sponsored by Volunteering Auckland (VA). It is part of their wider research into volunteering by young people (13 to 18 years). Previous work carried out by VA showed that at the age of 18 years volunteers are able to carry out leadership roles. Youth volunteering is reinforced by links with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award and the William Pike Challenge. Girls tend to volunteer more readily than boys, who may be caught up with sport, which is promoted by schools. Also noted was the tendency towards micro volunteering that is short-term and one-off. Young people’s growing concern for the environment, climate change and human rights resulted in volunteerin
Spatial and temporal variation in prey color patterns for background matching across a continuous heterogeneous environment
No full textIn heterogeneous habitats, camouflage via background matching can be challenging because visual characteristics can vary dramatically across small spatial scales. Additionally, temporal variation in signaling functions of coloration can affect crypsis, especially when animals use coloration seasonally for intraspecific signaling (e.g., mate selection). We currently have a poor understanding of how wild prey optimize background matching within continuously heterogeneous habitats, and whether this is affected by requirements of intraspecific signaling across biological seasons. Here, we quantified color patterns of a wild population of shore skink (Oligosoma smithi), a variably colored lizard endemic to New Zealand, to (a) investigate whether background matching varies across a vegetation gradient; (b) assess potential signaling functions of color; and (c) to determine whether there is a trade-off between requirements for crypsis and intraspecific signaling in coloration across seasons. Although all pattern types occurred throughout the vegetation gradient, we found evidence for background matching in skinks across the vegetation gradient, where dorsal brightness and pattern complexity corresponded with the proportion of vegetation cover.
There was also a significant disparity between ventral color (saturation) of juveniles and adults, and also between sexes, suggestive of sex recognition. However, there was little indication that color was condition-dependent in adults. Despite some evidence for a potential role in signaling, crypsis did not greatly differ across seasons.
Our study suggests that selection favors a mix of generalist and specialist background matching strategies across continuously heterogeneous habitats