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'You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever': Sapphic desire, vampires, and constructing kinship
No full textThis thesis explores the figure of the sapphic vampire in Carmilla (1872) by J. Sheridan Le
Fanu, The Blood of the Vampire (1897) by Florence Marryat, The Gilda Stories (1991) by
Jewelle Gomez, and Fledgling (2005) by Octavia Butler. I argue that these texts present the
sapphic vampire as the embodiment of the death drive and display ambiguous familial/sexual
relationships in order to challenge heteronormative constructs of family. I utilise Lee
Edelman’s arguments from No Future: Queer Theory and the Death Drive to analyse
vampiric, queer kinship as a future that does not focus on the child, and Kath Weston’s
Families We Choose: Lesbians, Gays, Kinship to unpack the concept of the chosen family
and its value for queer people who desire kin, examining the way familial structures are
broken down and biological ties rendered secondary to chosen ones. In Chapter One I analyse
the scenes in which the vampire feeds, unpacking the use of breastfeeding imagery to show
the tension between maternal roles and sapphic relationships inherent in the texts. I show how
the narratives respond to idea of love and lust, as well as their troubled relationship with post-
menopausal women. Chapter Two considers how, lacking a biological family of her own, the
sapphic vampire creates familial bonds through recruitment or reproduction. Given the
correlation these texts create between queerness and vampirism, I argue that the family
building within these narratives presents alternatives to heteronormative constructs of
kinship. Throughout I compare the contemporary texts to their Victorian counterparts, tracing
the ways in which the depictions of queer kinship that the Victorian texts had to eradicate
could be celebrated in those of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. I will explain
the significance of what has or has not changed, and how this affects or is representative of
shifts in attitude towards queer people and the families that they choose. This thesis
demonstrates the power of the desire that the literary sapphic vampire feels, and the value of
the family she chooses
Defining and designing work-integrated learning curriculum
No full textThe scope of work-integrated learning (WIL) has expanded and evolved globally and is a recognised pedagogy that enhances graduate employability, strengthens students’ personal attributes, and affords a personalised learning experience. Despite abundant research and discourse on WIL, misconceptions about what WIL is and how WIL educative experiences are enacted continue to prevail, partially due to the absence of a universal definition of WIL. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into WIL curriculum design and educational practices that reflect a recently published inclusive definition of WIL. The importance of pre- and post-WIL for optimising outcomes during WIL is emphasised. A framework for conceptualising the enactment of the WIL curriculum is presented that preserves the flexibility of WIL while establishing a consistent interpretation of what WIL curriculum entails. Consensus on the defining elements of WIL and its enactment will facilitate stronger global collaboration, shared teaching ethos, augmented research impact, and agreement on what constitutes quality WIL
Therapeutic hypothermia and early waking: Waking unconscious survivors following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest to positively neurologically prognosticate
No full textIntroduction: Cardiac arrest is a significant global health challenge, which leads to substantial morbidity and mortality, impacting 50 to 100 individuals per 100,000 in the general population. Ischemic heart disease is the primary cause, particularly in developed countries. Historically, survival rates following cardiac arrest with a good neurological outcome were low; however, advancements in emergency response, including early Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), access to defibrillation, coronary revascularisation, intensive care and Targeted Temperature Management (TTM), have notably improved patient outcomes. The practice of TTM has evolved over the past two decades, advocating that Therapeutic Hypothermia (TH) enhances neurological outcomes; although there has been much controversy over optimal temperature ranges. Notwithstanding, international resuscitation guidelines continue to endorse TTM as a post-resuscitation neuroprotective strategy, recommending temperatures between 32° and 36° Celsius. To ensure patient comfort and prevent shivering during the administration of TTM, sedatives and neuromuscular blockers are administered, preventing an accurate neurological assessment. Despite the challenges of neurological prognostication post-cardiac arrest, current guidelines recommend a multimodal approach, including clinical examination, electrophysiological studies, biomarkers, and neuroimaging, to predict outcomes accurately.
Aim: This research sought to develop and evaluate a protocol (Therapeutic Hypothermia and eArly Waking, THAW) for early waking of unconscious Out-of-Hospital-Cardiac-Arrest (OHCA) survivors for the purpose of performing a comprehensive neurological assessment.
Methods: A mixed methods approach was used. In the development of the THAW protocol, qualitative data were obtained from a series of focus groups, which included the research team, the National Health Service Ethics committee, a clinical expert panel, OHCA survivors and their family members as well as the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre’s Clinical Governance Committee. Thematic analysis was undertaken to capture the varied perspectives and insights from the different stakeholder groups to inform the THAW protocol interventions. A prospective non-randomised sampling strategy was selected for the implementation of the THAW protocol and neurological indicators collected over a 72-hour period.
Results: The THAW protocol assessed the safety and feasibility of an early waking protocol for unconscious survivors of OHCA treated with TTM at 33° Celsius, with a focus on the potential to reduce Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay and mechanical ventilation duration through early neurological assessments. Despite an expected 50 percent mortality rate, largely due to neurological injuries, findings demonstrated that early waking and extubation with a mean mechanical ventilation duration of 21.4 hours, was feasible for 24 percent of patients, significantly reducing ICU length of stay without adverse events. Of these, seven patients (14%) were able to be transferred from the ICU to the cardiology High Dependency Unit (HDU) within the first 72 hours of their admission. The THAW protocol employed a combination of Intravenous Temperature Management (IVTM) and a counter-shivering strategy to manage core temperature, alongside physiological assessments and standard neurological exams like the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and the Full Outline of UnResponsiveness (FOUR) score. Notably, the neuro biomarker and neurophysiological tests performed as part of the THAW protocol interventions, were not used to inform clinical decision-making, instead to be used in post hoc analysis to maintain objectivity.
Conclusion: The THAW protocol demonstrated the safety and feasibility of an early waking protocol in OHCA survivors undergoing TTM at 33° Celsius. Highlighting the potential to expedite neurological prognostication and reduce ICU length of stay and mechanical ventilation duration. Through careful patient selection, the implementation of IVTM with a counter-shivering strategy, early neurological assessments can be integrated into critical care practices without adverse effects on patients
Taste predicates and retraction data: An improved framework
No full textOver the past 20 years, predicates of personal taste (PPT) have been at the centre of a set of lively debates in the philosophy of language and linguistics. These debates have yielded many subtle and inventive analyses of PPT. There is, however, a crucial methodological question about PPT that remains underexplored: what sorts of evidence should be used in evaluating an account of PPT?
In line with a fairly large body of recent work, we point out that since hypotheses about PPT are empirical, they need to be evaluated empirically, using clearly articulated tests. The test on which we focus involves ordinary speakers’ judgments about retraction. We identify what we take to be two significant problems with the leading account, due to John MacFarlane, of why retraction data matter in the PPT debates. We then develop an improved framework for thinking about this issue. To close, we use our improved framework to re-evaluate the findings on retraction reported by Markus Kneer, and we discuss a few loose ends that will need to be addressed by future experimental research on PPT
“That Brave Egotist”, Martius the anxious and ideological masculinity of 'Coriolanus'
No full textThis thesis explores the societal implementation of masculinity in relation to William Shakespeare’s play Coriolanus and its 2011 film adaptation directed by Ralph Fiennes. Through both texts, we see a society where masculinity holds a deep-rooted ideological position that rules and dictates the comings and goings of the worlds. The thesis unpacks this ideology, exploring how it is considered masculine to hold the hegemonic position and how it is similarly considered masculine to conform to the currently celebrated expression of masculinity. Through this, the thesis explores the arbitrariness of masculinity and its underlying anxiousness. Chapters explore the play in a historical context and, through close inspection of Fiennes’ film, show the current relevance of debates around masculinity.
Simone de Beauvoir famously declares, "One is not born, but becomes a woman”. Likewise, the thesis shows that one is not born masculine but becomes masculine. Masculinity is a coherent system of appearances, speeches, and behaviours that people perform in order to be conferred with the coveted title and position of hegemon. Since people have different capabilities of achieving complete coherence and proximity to the mythological perfected form of masculinity, society becomes structured and ordered based on people’s ability to conform with masculinity. Those who can conform receive socioeconomic benefits based upon their position, and those who can’t become subordinated with a precarious socioeconomic position. Similarly, because of the apparent arbitrariness of this system, there is an underlying anxiousness to it. Some people, especially in the socially dominant positions, have an overwhelming fear of losing their positions founded upon their arbitrary dominance.
Despite its antiquity, being about 400 years old, the play maintains distinctly applicable to our world today. The thesis explores how, through the ongoing developments in our current world towards a more equitable society, the play has held an obvious clutch on people’s psyches. Whether it was in 1608 when the play was written, during New Zealand’s first production of the play in 1929, in 2011 during the release of Fiennes’ film, or today in (2024) when this thesis was submitted, the play remains inexplicably relevant and interesting to any foreseeable audience
Temporary migration and wage inequality: The effects of skills, nationality and migration status in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textThis study focuses on the labour market dimensions of temporary migration by quantitatively exploring the relationship between temporary migration and wage inequality. Over recent decades, there has been a growing emphasis on migration management in shaping migration policies across the world, especially in the Anglophone settler societies. At the same time, temporary migration policies have been criticized for contributing to the creation of inequalities. This study investigates wage inequality among temporary migrants between 2010 and 2019 in Aotearoa New Zealand, a period when the number of people holding temporary visas more than doubled. Despite the increase in this population of temporary migrants, our analysis of administrative data has shown that the overall level of wage inequality of temporary migrants holding work visas declined between 2010 and 2019. The study uses the Shapley-value decomposition approach to quantify the contributions of skills, nationality and migration status on wage inequality, factors that are associated with the migration system and the composition of migrants. Results suggest that skills and nationality were the key factors that have led to decrease wage inequality over the period. In contrast, migration status has a small countervailing effect on the decreases in wage inequality. Our analysis concludes that wage inequality is shaped by two factors in the case of temporary migration. The first is the migration system itself which sets different conditions for migrants in terms of skills and migration status, and the second is the composition of the migrant population
The emergence, dynamic psychological process, and regulation of obsessive entrepreneurial passion in shaping the well-being of entrepreneurs
No full textEntrepreneurs are known for their deep emotional attachment and commitment to their ventures. Experiencing such intense positive emotions can paradoxically lead to obsessive entrepreneurial passion (ObEP), an uncontrollable form of passion negatively associated with well-being. Despite the negative consequences of ObEP, entrepreneurs may still develop an uncontrolled emotional bond with their businesses. While research has focused on the benefits of entrepreneurial passion, there is limited research on how obsessive passion forms and its potential effects on well-being are still a topic of debate as prior studies show mixed and inconclusive findings.
As such, our overarching concern is to know why entrepreneurs develop ObEP and how it potentially shapes their entrepreneurial well-being. To examine this research question, we conducted three interrelated studies. In our first study, we examined the potential drivers of obsessive entrepreneurial passion and its impact on subjective and psychological well-being by employing a quantitative research
design. We identified affective entrepreneurial commitment and perceived competitive pressure as two potential drivers of obsessive entrepreneurial passion based on the premise that passion can emerge from internal and social pressure. We found that both drivers can fuel obsessive entrepreneurial passion, which negatively mediates the relationship between affective entrepreneurial commitment and subjective and psychological well-being, as well as the relationship between perceived competitive pressure and both types of entrepreneurial well-being.
In our second study, we used qualitative methods to examine the underlying psychological process between obsessive entrepreneurial passion and well-being. As obsessively passionate entrepreneurs place heightened importance on their self-worth, they tend to cognitively evaluate themselves and verify their self-worth, paying attention to their own perspectives and those close to them. Thus, such cognitive self-evaluation of entrepreneurs can explain the underlying psychological process between obsessive entrepreneurial passion and well-being outcomes. We introduced a dynamic process model to explain how the cognitive self-evaluation of obsessively passionate entrepreneurs (ObPEs) results in different well-being
outcomes due to experienced discrepancies and conflicts. The model portrays four phases: the emergence of ObEP, cognitive evaluation of the self, feelings of self-discrepancies and conflicts, and well-being outcomes. In addition, we explained the detrimental side of obsessive entrepreneurial passion by highlighting the vicious cycle of passion.
In our third study, we proposed a dynamic model to explain how obsessively passionate entrepreneurs can manage negative emotions triggered by stress and regulate their obsessive entrepreneurial passion to shape their well-being. Using the lens of cognitive appraisal theory, we explained that obsessively passionate entrepreneurs will appraise stress as challenges or threats depending on their goals, beliefs, and ability to access resources to cope with the negative emotions triggered by stress. We highlighted that entrepreneurs who employ approach strategies to cope with negative emotions can regulate their passion by enhancing their level of obsessive entrepreneurial passion without detriment to their well-being. However, using avoidance strategies will cause them to reduce their attachment to business, leading to reduced well-being
Spat survival of Paphies ventricosa (Toheroa) in an aquaculture setting
Get PDFThe toheroa (Papris ventracosta) is a large intertidal surf cam endemic to New Zealand. This species has a long history with the people of New Zealand in both cultural and economic sense. Exploitation and environmental change have greatly diminished the wild stocks of these animals making a sustainable fishery no longer feasible. Aquaculture has been widely discussed as a potentially profitable option for this species due to its large size, esteemed taste and its social and cultural significance. Aquaculture of toheroa could generate many benefits for the people of the toheroa beaches, as aquaculture has done in other regions of New Zealand. However, the suitability of toheroa for aquaculture is largely unknown, with many questions needing to be answered before that can become a reality. The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of the environmental conditions which will support the successful cultivation of wild caught toheroa spat in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). This is done by answering questions around knowledge gaps in the biology of the animal. Three experiments were conducted on aspects of the animal’s environment and biology. The first experiment sought to identify the presence of microphytobenthos’s within the wild population beds of the toheroa. As evidence suggests from research conducted on other species, microphytobenthos is an essential part of the animal’s ecosystem which might be a necessary component of a successful spat rearing operation. The experiment showed elevated chlorophyll levels (a proxy for microphytobenthos) within toheroa beds relative to other areas of the beach. The second experiment compared survival and growth rates in sediment vs. non-sediment holding systems. The results of this study indicated the benefits of housing spat in sediments, as demonstrated by differences in measured growth and mortality. A third experiment sought to test for size dependent mortality rates within the RAS. Somewhat surprisingly, it was found that smaller toheroa (0-10mm) performed better within a system compared to larger ones (20-30). Larger toheroa tended to eject themselves from the sediment constantly, an act which may have compromised their growth and survivorship. The result of these experiments answered questions and raise many more. Potentially through understanding these questions we can create tools which industry and conservation can use. This research show that successful toheroa spat can be successfully integrated into an aquaculture system. With mortality settling the animals feeding and showing healthy condition. However, the next stage would be to optimize this. Toheroa aquaculture being in its infancy requires a wide variety of research before considered feasible. However, results and observations made from this research can help in identifying and specializing future research objectives
Kant’s Universalism in Historical Context: Repoliticising the Foundations of a Seminal Political Philosophy
Get PDFIn the contemporary global political milieu, Immanuel Kant's universalist political philosophy has assumed a prominent role, eliciting substantial discourse and scrutiny due to its enduring significance in shaping the fundamental principles that underpin the present-day international order. Kant's philosophy is celebrated for its commitment to universality and its pioneering articulation of political ideals aimed at establishing the foundational principles requisite for the construction of a peaceful, sustainable, and self-regulating global order, grounded upon universally applicable moral precepts. While an array of scholarly works has meticulously explored Kant's groundbreaking contributions and intellectual influence, a discernible gap exists in comprehending how his philosophical framework intersects with the multifaceted social and material backdrop of his era. This thesis embarks on a critical exploration of Kant's universalism, employing a novel approach grounded in the social history of political theory, firmly rooted in historical materialism. Diverging from abstract interpretations of political theory, this method seeks to historically recontextualise Kant's ideas within their original social, political, and class contexts.
To illuminate Kant's universalism from this perspective, a pivotal question must be addressed: What kind of political project does Kant’s universalism propose in terms of the political polarisations between absolutism, feudalism, and liberalism in the Prussian context? This research endeavours to reevaluate Kant's universalist political philosophy by examining its connection to the protracted crisis of German feudalism, its influence on social and political thought, and its entanglement with the power struggles between absolutist-paternalists, traditional feudalists, and liberal reformists vying for control over social property relations in the Prussian Ständestaat. Within this context, Kant's philosophy also intersects with the reform project of the rising educated professional classes, known as the Bildungsbürgertum, whose growing influence shaped the trajectory of social property relations and the Enlightenment (Aufklärung) in the Prussian state-building period.
A distinctive contribution of this thesis is that it highlights the unique class character of the Prussian Bildungsbürgertum, distinct from the British and French bourgeoisie traditionally analysed in Marxist perspectives. Notably, the thesis contends that this state-dependent educated professional class had a particular affinity for Kantian universalism, making it, for a time, the prevailing ideology of the Prussian Bildungsbürgertum. By adopting this historical materialist perspective of the social history of political theory, this thesis aims to shed light on the intricate relationships between Kant's universalist political thought and the historically specific conditions of 18th-century Prussia, ultimately elucidating the nuanced limitations imposed by his class context on his philosophical contributions
Is the mental health system in Aotearoa New Zealand providing quality care to young people? A critical analysis utilising the perspectives of mental health professionals and sociological insights.
Get PDFThe increasing rate of mental illness among young people, and mental health systems inadequate responses, have been critically analysed within various academic publications and government/ international agency reports. Comparatively, a critical analysis of the systemic issues that contribute to or perpetuate these inadequacies, specifically analysis that utilises sociological perspectives, is lacking within academic literature. This thesis utilises a sociological lens to investigate the challenges present within the Aotearoa New Zealand mental health system, identifying likely systemic causes and presenting alternative approaches that may alleviate some of the challenges. Employing a qualitative, interpretivist approach, 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted with mental health professionals from various clinical disciplines, who currently work within the system in the North Island/Te Ika-a-Māui of Aotearoa New Zealand. Thematic analysis was conducted on the 11 transcripts and 6 themes were identified. The data analysis suggests that, from the perspective of the mental health professionals, many of the current challenges within the system, specifically staffing and funding issues, are linked to operation strategies that focus on efficiency, profit margins, standardization, and individualism, all elements of neoliberalism. Other challenges identified by participants such as the reliance on biomedicine and a crisis management system, which are both approaches that encourage standardisation can also be understood as elements that are conducive with an efficiency focussed neoliberal system. Participants presented alternative approaches that they would like to see implemented in the system, these included therapeutic interventions and structural changes. The alternative approaches draw on relational concepts such as continuous patient-centred care and holism and this may be contrasted with the current standardised and efficiency-focused practices. These findings highlight two differing approaches to mental health care drawing upon contrasting ideologies. Challenges identified by participants suggest that individualist principles are underpinning the current system, whereas a more relational approach underpins the alternative models suggested by participants. Moving forward this research suggests that the mental health system might possibly consider shifting its focus from individualism and neoliberalism and instead incorporate practices that draw on relationality, continuous patient-centred care, and holistic approaches to mental health