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Manipulative Advertising and Vitiating Factors
No full textThis chapter examines the regulation of vulnerability exploitation: when people are identified as having potential vulnerabilities (for example by tracking internet search habits), which are exploited by being exposed to advertisements of certain goods and services. We examine such exploitation in three contexts: online gaming, digital assets, and fertility treatments. We then evaluate the extent to which the law adequately addresses vulnerability exploitation, particularly in the three contexts studied. Last, we provide some initial thoughts on how New Zealand’s existing legal framework could be updated to more effectively tackle VE
Feasibility of a passive tidal floating upweller system for the nursery culture of bivalve spat
No full textHigh losses of juvenile bivalves, such as oysters, clams, and mussels, during nursery culture reduce the overall efficiency of aquaculture production of many species. These losses can be mitigated through effective contained nursery culture systems, which provide sufficient flow of water containing suspended food particles to facilitate the growth of juveniles, usually in an upwelling arrangement. Raw seawater can be used to provision upwelling nursery systems with flowing water containing particulate food, but it requires substantial energy input to pump large volumes. This study sought to eliminate the energy inputs for nursery culture by conducting a feasibility study on a tidally driven floating upweller system (FLUPSY) using a comprehensive simulation and experimental study approach. A passive tidal FLUPSY was designed based on established designs, followed by comprehensive computational fluid dynamics simulations in flume and ocean fluid domains. The results from laboratory flow visualisation experiments showed good agreement with the simulations. Field experiments further validated the simulation results, and the observed flow velocities mirrored those obtained from simulations. However, the results of both the simulations and experiments revealed that despite an upward trend along the inclined intake ramp, the flow near the spat location in the passive tidal FLUPSY was relatively low. As such, an optimisation study was carried out to increase the FLUPSY's outlet velocity, which showed that a three times increase in inlet area resulted in 62 % of the incoming tidal flow being conveyed through the passive tidal FLUPSY. Nevertheless, the disproportion between the FLUPSY's inlet and outlet areas presents challenges to commercial viability. These results provide valuable insight into the feasibility of a passive tidal FLUPSY for bivalve aquaculture and underscore the need to further explore alternative active tidal FLUPSY designs to address these limitations
Evaluation of the potential for anti-predator stocking to reduce crop losses due to fish predation in Greenshell™ mussel (Perna canaliculus) farms
No full textEnormous losses of juvenile mussels are commonplace in mussel aquaculture worldwide. Fish predation is one important contributor to these losses in many mussel growing regions. The Greenshell™ mussel industry in New Zealand is particularly susceptible to fish predation, where farmers have reported losses of seed mussels of up to 100 %. The current practice for seeding juvenile Greenshell™ mussels onto coastal farms is to deploy the mussels alongside a continuous longline growing rope enclosed in a cotton stocking which holds the mussels against the rope. The mussels subsequently attach to the rope with byssus threads before the cotton degrades. During this vulnerable period, the stocking may also help to protect the juvenile mussels from fish predators whilst they are unattached to any substrate. This study investigated whether differences in the strength and weave of three types of stocking (i.e., a 54-loop weave commonly used in New Zealand, a smaller and more tightly woven stocking used in shellfish hatcheries, and a 42-loop stocking that combines two weaves of cotton together) might affect the amount of fish predation on juvenile mussels that were newly seeded onto growing rope. In an experiment, the three types of cotton stocking were each subjected to three levels of predation by restricting fish access to the growing ropes seeded with juvenile mussels by attaching full, partial and no plastic mesh cages around the ropes. The number of mussels lost from each of the treatment combinations were assessed after 12, 31, and 42 days. At 42 days on average only 15.1 % (± 1.7 SE) of the seeded juvenile mussels remained on those growing ropes subjected to full fish predation, with no differences in mussel losses among three types of socking. In contrast, on average 90.7 % (± 2.1 SE) of the seeded juvenile mussels remained on growing ropes protected from fish predation by the full mesh cages, and 87.5 % (± 3.7 SE) for partial cages. For both types of protective cages there was no difference in the numbers of remaining juvenile mussels among the three types of stocking. Remote underwater video camera observations confirmed Australasian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) were feeding on the juvenile mussels from the dropper ropes without protective cages. These results show that physical protection by cages protects juvenile mussels from fish predation, while cotton stocking, regardless of the type of stocking, is not effective for preventing fish predation. The results also show that the majority of mussel losses in the uncaged treatment occurred in the first 12 days of the experiment, indicating that vulnerability to predation may be associated with the initial lack of byssus attachment to the growing rope. Overall, these results point to a need to develop more effective methods for mitigating the high losses of seed mussels after they are seeded onto growing ropes
Likes, Shares and the Young Scholar: An Exploration of Social Media and Academic Engagement
No full textSocial media has become integral to students' lives, influencing their academic engagement. While social media offers various supports for learning, it also comes with concerns, distractions and misuse. This study used a mixed methodology to explore how students perceive social media's role in their academic engagement. 74 responses were collected through an anonymous questionnaire; among them, 64 responses were complete and used for analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and comparative statistics. Qualitative data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. Social learning theory and engagement theory were theoretical frameworks for my research. My research found consistency in social media usage patterns among undergraduate and postgraduate students. Furthermore, students see social media as a double-edged sword; however, they also acknowledge certain benefits, such as facilitating communication and collaboration with classmates, resource finding and sharing, motivation and clarification, and self-directed learning. Students' primary purpose of using social media remains entertainment regardless of study level and age. The findings suggest that educators might inspire students to use social media for self-directed learning along with tips to manage their distractions
The right to speak: exploring academic freedom in turbulent times
No full textThe concept of academic freedom remains contested globally, with increasing threats to academic expression appearing across different national contexts. New Zealand offers a unique case study as one of the few countries with comprehensive legal protection of academic freedom enshrined in education legislation. This paper examines how legislative protection of academic freedom has functioned in practice by comparing academic freedom controversies before and after its introduction into New Zealand law. Despite detailed legal provisions, we find that unclear definitions, inadequate guidelines, and the neoliberal restructuring of higher education have created persistent challenges in distinguishing between individual expertise and opinion and between institutional and individual responsibilities. These findings provide important insights for international debates about academic freedom, suggesting that legislation alone is insufficient protection without clear operational guidelines and protections from economic pressures that create conflicting institutional priorities. The paper contributes to a global understanding of how academic freedom can be better protected in increasingly polarised political environments
Older People's Contributions During the COVID-19 Pandemic Response
No full textDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, older people were identified as requiring additional support and protection. This multi-method qualitative study shifts this narrative by asking: how did older people contribute to the COVID-19 public health response? We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of responses from 870 letter-writers and 44 interviewees who were older people living in Aotearoa, New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Older people made substantial contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic through: 1) volunteering; 2) nurturing; and 3) advocacy/activism. We argue that policy makers should take seriously the ways older people were providers of help and support in this period
Soft Masculinity and Its Discontents in Contemporary China
No full textThe popularity of soft or effeminate idol men on screens, billboards and social media
platforms in today’s China has attracted scholarly attention. Researchers repeatedly mention
keywords such as cultural globalisation, modernisation, consumerism and increasing gender
equality as if this is an emerging trend in (mainland) China. The waxing and waning of the
tough man craze (yinghan re) in the 1980s, the rise of flower-like boys/men (huameinan)
after the turn of the new century and the popularity of “young/little fresh meat” (xiaoxianrou)
in the 2010s indicate that the dispute between the masculine and the soft deserves more
scholarly attention. How historical institutional forces shaped gender concepts should not be
neglected. If we trace back to Confucian gender norms in ancient China, the popularity of
softer masculinities is striking. Proper ways to exhibit an ideal masculinity have always been
a central topic of discussion and debate in China since ancient times. Therefore, instead of
using several keywords such as modernisation, consumerism and globalisation to
oversimplify the trend or simply applying Western masculinity studies theories such as the
social construction of gender, the emergence and popularity of soft masculinity should be
examined within a larger historical, social and cultural structure. Changing masculine ideals
among the Chinese from the 1980s to the 2010s have reflected different configurations of
gender as well as the construction of masculinities in post-Mao China.
This thesis delves into the characteristics and acceptance of Chinese soft masculinity
through extensive content analysis, including male images in Chinese literature, films,
magazines, television series, the Internet and so on. It aims to shed light on the origins of soft
masculinity and how discontent with this expressed by Chinese intellectuals implies the
changing status of Chinese intellectuals, especially males. This study partly draws on well
established masculinity studies theories by Western scholars and some frameworks
envisioned by Chinese scholars which draw inspiration from traditional Confucian gender
concepts. This work offers insights into drastic socio-economic and cultural changes in China
over the past four decades, particularly in a local and regional context, through the study of
aspects of Chinese masculinities
Evaluating the Effects of Chinese Outward FDI in Malaysia: Insights from the Digital Free Trade Zone and Country Garden Cases
No full textMalaysia’s embrace of the Belt and Road Initiative has raised expectations about Chinese investments. Through case studies of Chinese investment in the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) and Forest City, public-private partnerships involving Malaysian and Chinese firms, this chapter unpacks the effects of Chinese investment and their drivers. In terms of effects, this chapter offers three observations. Firstly, doubts remain over the quantity and quality of technology transfer. Secondly, the DFTZ and Forest City are not delivering impressive job effects and indeed the former may involve negative ones. Thirdly, these projects’ realization depends on partnerships between technology- and knowledge-intensive Chinese business groups and Malaysian state-owned enterprises. These partnerships entrench the status quo rather than address Malaysia’s “technology-less” industrialization process. This chapter does not find that Malaysia’s regime type or diplomatic relationship with China play a notable role in shaping the aforementioned effects, though the former have created an opening for Forest City’s pathologies. Instead, Malaysia’s modest ability in absorbing know-how from the Chinese lead firms results from its economic development model which neglects the local private sector as well as related microeconomic factors. A new model is needed to leverage the potential technological, employment, and political gains of Chinese investments
Beyond Models of National Culture in Information Systems Research
No full textMany IS scholars argue that global organizations need to understand cultural differences if they are to successfully deploy information technology. We agree that an understanding of cultural differences is important, but suggest that the concept of “national culture” that has tended to dominate the IS research literature is too simplistic. In this article, we challenge information systems researchers to go beyond models of national culture. We propose that IS researchers should adopt a more dynamic view of culture – one that sees culture as contested, temporal and emergent