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Exploring the experiences of young Māori mothers
No full textThis thesis explores the lived experiences of three young Māori mothers (aged 16
years old) in Aotearoa, New Zealand, focusing on their strengths, challenges, and resilience.
By employing a Kaupapa Māori methodological framework, the research aims to reframe
narratives about young Māori mothers towards a strengths-based perspective, advocating for
protection and nurturing Māori whakapapa. Using qualitative methods, the study explores the
pūrākau (stories) of three young Māori mothers attending a teen parent unit in Waikato.
The study highlights how, by living within both individualistic and collective realms,
these young mothers actively challenge stigma, assert their worth, and develop unique
underlying strengths. The findings, structured around emergent themes from their collective
experiences, reveal a dichotomy: these young mothers must navigate the individualistic
pressures and high expectations of motherhood while also drawing strength from collective
responsibilities upheld within their whānau and supportive community services. Despite
facing significant societal stigma and systemic barriers, the mothers demonstrate immense
strength. Their resilience is grounded in whānau connections, proactive self-care, and
engagement with taiao, wairua, and tino rangatiratanga—processes that also support
intergenerational healing.
This research underscores the importance of culturally responsive support systems
that honour Indigenous knowledge and collective well-being. It offers insights for reorienting
policy and practice to empower young Māori mothers, recognising their tino rangatiratanga
and transformative agency by embracing their multifaceted realities
A Classical Oversight? The appropriateness and accessibility of Classical Studies to female students in Aotearoa New Zealand
Get PDFClassical Studies is a subject that has a predetermined ‘canon’ of traditional texts and subjects that are recommended and expected to be studied. It focuses on the men of ancient Greece and Rome, whilst classifying non-Greeks and Romans as ‘barbarians’ or ‘other’. Women of the ancient world live comfortably outside the margins of the Classical Studies curriculum. This perception, and the continuation of teaching from a narrow and biased perspective without rigorous discussion on the impact it has in the classroom, perpetuates the gender and racial stereotypes found within. It begs the question, how can girls see themselves and their values in such a subject? Despite the values of critical thinking facilitated by this curriculum area, the perpetuation of “the dominant values of the culture of power, while at the same time failing to validate those values of minority groups” (Porter- Samuels, 2013, p.19) will continue to hinder the opportunity to diversify and grow Classical Studies as a subject. At the start of 2019, I suggested on the New Zealand Classical Studies teacher page on Facebook that I was contemplating changing my focus from men to women within the ancient world as I thought it would be more appropriate for my students of an all girls’ school. There was some excitement but also pushback, one commentator pointed out that maybe I was teaching “my hobby horses rather than the traditional Classics”. It was implied that I would be doing a disservice to my students by not sticking to the ‘traditional’ topics.
Classical Studies is a Eurocentric subject that focuses on two civilisations that are inherently patriarchal and xenophobic. Two civilisations where the resources are dominated by men and everyone else has been ‘othered’. The purpose of this research is to uncover the lived experiences of female students within Classical Studies, in order to find out whether the subject is appropriate and accessible for them. It is a way to give a voice to the students. It is a way to hear their point of view on things like the curriculum, the pedagogy of their teachers and the environment. It is a way to remove assumptions, and replace them with genuine stories and experiences. It will hopefully be a catalyst for change. A way to give back to the amazing students I have had over the years.
For this research I explored the New Zealand Curriculum and how Classical Studies is presented within it. I have looked at the research around educational achievement of females in secondary schools. To gain an insight into the lived experiences of female students in a Classical Studies classroom in Aotearoa New Zealand, I have had talanoa conversations with ten volunteers from both Year 12 and Year 13.
These talanoa were eye-opening in their honesty and frustration. It is clear there needs to be change within Classical Studies, and the pedagogical approach of teachers. The participants were clear in their desire for women to be more visible
Feasibility study of green hydrogen to decarbonise New Zealand’s industries
No full textAdopting renewable feedstocks is a transformative approach to diminish the reliance on fossil feedstocks such as natural gas and coal in the chemical industry. This research evaluates the potential for Aotearoa-New Zealand, particularly in the North Island, to harness green hydrogen production as a substitute for fossil fuels across industries. The study's scope encompasses examining renewable energy technologies, their capacity factors based on location, types of electrolysers, the conversion process, and the sizing of hydrogen storage reservoirs. An analysis of the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) throughout the value chain in various scenarios has been conducted for the years 2020 to 2040 while considering the country’s resource constraints. The issue is addressed through an optimization-based framework characterized by a multi-period, mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model. The outcomes demonstrate the capability of integrating all these components within the mathematical framework to yield optimal solutions for transitioning towards a sustainable hydrogen economy
Good mothering in precarity: The societal expectations of solo mothers in Aotearoa - an exploration of the food sourcing, providing and preparing practices or three low-income solo mothers.
No full textThis thesis examines the intersection of food insecurity and solo motherhood in Aotearoa New Zealand, focussing on how low-income solo mothers navigate the challenges of food sourcing, preparing, and providing for themselves and their children, with particular attention to the role of the school or ECE lunchbox. Using a qualitative case study methodology, grounded in social and feminist constructionism, this research explores the lived experiences of three solo mothers, Helen, Constance and Melissa, through semi-structured interviews, photo-elicitation, and shop-along interviews.
The findings of this research suggest that food insecurity for solo mothers represents just one layer of broader precarity. In each of the cases, systemic barriers related to welfare, employment and housing significantly shaped their food providing practices. Beyond financial constraints, societal expectations of intensive mothering and the nuclear family unit further compounded their experiences. The pervasive nature of these ideals created conditions of unattainable self-sacrificial parenting that negatively contributed towards the solo mothers’ abilities to thrive.
This research underscores the importance of examining the broader social, cultural and economic contexts of solo mothers in Aotearoa New Zealand when exploring food insecurity and marginalisation for solo mothers
Risks and challenges of non-domestic data centres for isolated countries
No full textSmall and isolated nations have been significant early adopters of Cloud Computing services, driven in part by the potential for cost savings and the convenience of not having to build their own Internet and computing infrastructure. This move into the Cloud has not been without challenges - indeed, while these services offer scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency, they also expose these nations to unique risks and vulnerabilities. Many of these nations are at significant distances from the Data Centres whose services they consume, introducing unavoidable transmission challenges as well as legal and geopolitical issues for these nations, given their lack of control or enforcement capability over the foreign-hosted data centres whose services they consume.
As case studies, in this work we identify, measure and investigate some of the technical challenges posed by reliance on foreign Cloud Data Centres, and also analyse and discuss the non-technical challenges faced by nations that rely on such facilities. In those case studies, this work also explores how small and isolated nations can navigate these challenges, and recommends courses of action that provide actionable options for such nations. This dissertation also examines the disadvantages and risks associated with the reliance on nondomestic data centres by small, geographically or politically isolated nations where studies of such characteristics are possible, such as New Zealand and Taiwan
Multi-Level process integration of heat pumps in a non-continuous processing site
No full textIndustrial process heat demands contribute significantly to New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. With a global push towards decarbonization, including New Zealand’s Climate Change Response Amendment Act 2019, there is a need for methods and technologies that can be applied to replace industrial fossil fuel boiler use. With an increasing range of renewable energy sources, electrification provides a promising alternative to fossil fuel use; however, it is also critical to reduce process heat demands where possible. This can be done through the reuse of industrial waste heat via direct heat exchange, thermal storage, or heat pump installations. Existing Heat Integration methods provide a means of identifying waste heat recovery opportunities; however, these methods are typically aimed at steady state industries. In New Zealand, many industries operate in a non-continuous manner, creating challenges in the accurate application of these existing Heat Integration methods.
This thesis presents a multi-level process integration method for heat pump and thermal storage retrofit on non-continuous industrial processing sites. This method aims to address several gaps in current Heat Integration methodology through the novel amalgamation of several tools discussed in four main chapters: (1) A multi-level heat pump integration tool is developed that sequentially identifies heat pump opportunities to both upgrade waste heat for reuse, and shift remaining waste process heat towards more favorable temperature ranges, (2) A multi steady state time slice investigation develops a tool for selecting appropriate time slice sizes to accurately represent variable, non-continuous industrial sites, (3) a multi steady state thermal storage identification tool is developed by applying the previously identified time slices to existing heat integration methods with an aim to further buffer fluctuations in heat demand, and optimize the thermal loads on the previously identified heat pump opportunities.
The tools are combined into a final method and applied to a meat processing case study site that is representative of the variable, non-continuous industries that dominate the food sector in New Zealand. In this case study, hourly time slices were used to identify multiple successive heat pump opportunities including a 1.9 MW MVR that recompresses waste steam from the rendering dryers with a COP of 10, and a central 1.5 MW heat pump that supplies heat at 70°C to the site ring main with a COP of 3.4. In addition, it was found that the 90°C heat pump, already installed on the case study site, would have the potential to increase utilization on the case study site if the two other heat pump opportunities identified were implemented. Thermal storage opportunities were also identified that can be used to buffer heat demands on the 70°C heat pump opportunity, thereby allowing the heat pump to be resized to 1.04 MW in comparison to the initially hypothesized 1.5 MW, reducing both capital and operational costs of the heat pump.
This amalgamated method provides novel Total Site Heat Integration additions, which when compared to conventional heat integration methods, provide more accurate and more useful heat pump decarbonization strategies for non-continuous industrial sites, ultimately aiding in industrial decarbonization
Investigation of glucose and energy metabolism in eumenorrheic female ultra-runners across the menstrual cycle
No full textFemale athletes, ultra-running, and the utilization of continuous glucose sensors in endurance sports are each individually underrepresented in current literature. When these areas are examined collectively, a substantial gap in knowledge becomes evident. Therefore, the purpose of this PhD study was to collect glucose and energy metabolism data in regularly menstruating female athletes within the complex sporting environment of ultra-running. Initially, a narrative review of the current study methodologies in female performance research was completed. The narrative review aided in the identification of gaps in study design and validation methodologies within female performance research, put forth a suggestive framework for standardizing terminology, and provides a comprehensive list of options for a combined methods approach to menstrual tracking. Subsequently, a randomized, cross-over experimental design was performed with twelve experienced female ultra-runners (age 39 ± 6 y) acting as their own control across menstrual cycle phases during an ultra-marathon simulation. Participants completed a 3-hour fasted outdoor run (FASTED) followed by a one-hour treadmill run (TREAD) where three standardized oral glucose doses were provided, in the mid-follicular (FOL) and mid-luteal phases (LUT). Using a mixed linear model, the menstrual phase was identified as being statistically significant for differences in glucose measurements between CGM and capillary glucose during TREAD (p = 0.02) but not FASTED. Also, the CGM reported glucose levels an average of -0.43 mmol·L-1 (95% CI -0.86, -0.005) and -1.02 mmol·L-1 (95% CI -1.63, -0.42) lower in fasted and fed scenarios respectively when compared to capillary glucose. Median glucose was higher in the LUT (Capillary 0.25-0.29 mmol·L-1, CGM 0.38-0.4 mmol·L-1) both when fasted or supplemented with carbohydrate. Of note, this is the first study to show that glucose is on average higher in the mid-luteal phase as well as observe the avoidance of clinically significant non-diabetic hypoglycemia (< 3.0 mmol·L-1) during 3-hours of fasted running following an 8-hour fast among female ultra-runners. Additionally, higher individual responses of low blood sugar were observed in the follicular phase. Further, there were no significant differences in the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) between the FOL (0.805 ± 0.028) and LUT phases (0.809 ± .035); t (10) -0.401, p = 0.697 during comparable submaximal running intensity (57% ± 7.3% and 57.3% ±7.9% VO2MAX respectively). Post-hoc analysis revealed no significant main effect of RER on glucose levels
A decision support system for predicting the complications of diabetes mellitus: A design science research approach
No full textHealth information systems (HIS) serve as the cornerstone of modern healthcare, seamlessly
weaving data into actionable insights and empowering professionals to make informed
decisions and elevate patient care. Decision support systems became a prominent research
area in the discipline of HIS, where clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) with the ability
to diagnose and prognosis of disease are recognised as the most common and beneficial
information systems. Moreover, the high prevalence and adverse effects of diabetes all over
the globe evidently make it vital to predict diabetes and its complications.
The current study aims to resolve an issue at Te Whatu Ora, by generating a CDSS which can
predict the complications of diabetes mellitus (CoDM) while answering the knowledge gap.
Although a rich data set of diabetes patients’ is maintained at Te Whatu Ora, their
involvement in decision-making is unsatisfactory. This study created a CDSS to resolve the
issue at Te Whatu Ora while considering two perspectives of the question: design and data
analysis. The system design followed design science research methodologies (DSRM) while
selecting suitable techniques in the steps of the empirical cycle to confirm their applicability
in the domain. The data analysis perspective of the study focused on survival analysis
methods due to their appropriateness in fulfilling the identified research gaps.
The created CDSS is the primary outcome of the research, which resolves the real-world issue
while addressing the recognised research gaps. The solution's design perspective confirms
the applicability of adopting design science research approaches in the context of a
systematic solution-design process. The data analytics perspective confirms the
appropriateness of survival techniques in the domain while validating the system’s
performance.
The outcome of this research has significant academical, and managerial implications. The
implemented CDSS is capable of providing a chronological risk percentage for 10 CoDM in a
cohort of New Zealand. The systematic procedure adopted in the research contributes to the
existing knowledge gaps while answering the design, implementation, and evaluation stages.
The managerial implications of the study expand through policy-makers, resource-allocators,
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and healthcare administrators to doctors, nurses, and patients. The predicted risk of CoDM
may be beneficial in managing the patients by issuing early warnings, starting treatment
plans, conducting diagnosis tests, recommending dietary/exercise routines and more from
the perspective of patient care. The visualisation of the statistical details and the survival
curves in the system may assist in managing diabetes data repositories efficiently.
This study creates a cohort-specific risk prediction model based on the New Zealand cohort.
The interoperability challenges in the CDSS could occur due to the variety of practices in real
life. Future research studies in this domain can concentrate on increasing the accuracy of the
models with more features of a rich dataset while protecting the patents’ confidentiality.
Additionally, the cohort specificity of the CDSS can be avoided with the engagement of a
global dataset
Preliminary experiments quantifying the arcing process in a DC circuit breaker development project
No full textAC circuit breakers are well-established technology today. However, DC circuit breakers (DCCB) are not easy to design and build since there are no zero crossings in a DC power supply. Mechanical and semiconductor switches are the key elements considered under various circuit topologies to design DCCBs. However, mass-produced commercial DCCBs are designed by modifying AC breakers by connecting multiple poles in series and/or using permanent magnets inside the breaker to lower the cost of DCCBs except for special applications such as in the military industry. Some of the major issues behind the DCCB design are fundamentally explained in this research with simple experimental results based on DC arc characteristics. We intend using these experimental observations in a new design approach for DC circuit breakers using supercapacitor energy absorption
Ideal personhood through the ages: Tracing the genealogy of the modern concepts of wellbeing
No full textThis inquiry traces the recent history of modern conceptualizations of personhood and wellbeing. It explores a general transition from traditional frameworks emphasizing social embeddedness, external obligations, and cosmic meaning to modern views privileging self-determination, authenticity, and self-expression. The inquiry shows that contemporary conceptions of wellbeing have emerged in Western cultures through the gradual accumulation of influences, including the Enlightenment ethos, liberal ideals, romanticism, existentialism, countercultural movements, and modern psychology. The important role of ‘authenticity’ is examined as a central value in contemporary wellbeing discourse, aligning with the modern conception of personhood. It is argued that contemporary perspectives tend to position the ideal of authentic self-fulfillment as an overarching paradigm that integrates self-determination, self-discovery, willful self-authoring, and creative identity expression. It is also argued that the widespread public support of the authentic self-actualization model in the contemporary era is partly due to the success of humanistic and positive psychology. This model’s prevalence is particularly notable in regions where the modern concepts of personhood prevail, i.e., in Western cultures and, to a somewhat lesser extent, within affluent non-Western cultures. By shedding light on the Western origins of modern concepts of wellbeing, this inquiry challenges their assumed universality