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    Becoming a ‘good’ Muslim woman : comparing habitus and everyday lived religiosity : an ethnographic study of Aotearoa New Zealand Muslim women : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Anthropology at Massey University, Palmerston North, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023-11-10) Cheema, Hina Tabassum
    For women like us Every day isn’t about a sunrise Every night isn’t about a sunset Between our sunrise and sunset There are puzzles to solve Of the pictures never seen before Missing and broken pieces And bits mixed up from other puzzles But surprisingly Sometimes we make them And other times, they break us And occasionally They are left unsolved Lingering in on our minds Becoming part of us This thesis is an ethnographic study of everyday lived experiences of Muslim women immigrants in Aotearoa New Zealand. Through a focus on everyday lived religiosity, I explore the lives of Muslim women, who are extremely diverse and in the state of becoming as depicted in the poem. I extend Bourdieu’s theory of Habitus by introducing Comparing Habitus as an analytical tool which allows us to comprehend and analyse the diversity, multiplicity, complexity, intersubjectivity, heterogeneity, fluidity and unfinishedness of Muslim women’s lived experiences in Aotearoa NZ. I also use Deleuze and Guattari’s notion of becoming and Das’s theory of everyday to understand the complex and intersubjective ways of becoming ‘good’ Muslim women and their negotiations of everyday challenges in a non-Muslim context. I use the framework of lived religion to capture my participants' experiences to understand these experiences as ordinary Muslims; e.g., what Muslims do rather than what Islam says. The use of poetry and autoethnographic commentaries throughout the thesis adds another layer to the analysis to confer insights and to help understand my participants’ experiences in more depth. The study concludes that being a Muslim woman immigrant in Aotearoa NZ is an ongoing agentive and complex process that is continuously defined and redefined, not always in a linear direction. Muslim women make sense of their lives through engagement with other Muslim women and use comparison as one of the key strategies to make everyday decisions. My research participants are on journeys to understand Islam more logically, using their agency to actively negotiate situations, and are constantly engaged in finding meaning in their lives. The study suggests the need to understand Muslim women as cultural and social beings who actively negotiate their everyday challenges.
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    "Social justice is a spiritual practice" : exploring civil society participation among young Anglican social justice activists in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Anthropology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Rivera-Puddle, Catherine
    This research explores how, and what, young Anglican social justice activists are contributing to civil society in Aotearoa New Zealand in the early 21st century. I wanted to know how the Anglican Christian worldview of my research participants was forming them into a particular type of subject, and if/how this was impacting the engagement of the Anglican Church in New Zealand’s civic and public spaces. The research findings draw from in-depth ethnographic fieldwork based in sensory methodologies that engaged with members of an Anglican Diocese in New Zealand, which I call Diocese J. A theoretical lens of Assemblages and Phenomenological Becoming is used to examine how these social justice activists were formed. The results from the fieldwork indicated that the young social justice activists in Diocese J were shaped by main three factors: living in Intentional Communities, engaging with rhythmic and sensorial spiritual practices, and existing Anglican ecumenical and interfaith activity in civil society. My research also signaled that interactions with civil society amongst my participants were changing from how Anglicans in Diocese J had inhabited this space in the past. For my participants, a concern to provide social services and charity was declining and interest in social justice was growing. Aspects contributing to these changing civil society interactions were neoliberal economic precarity, the looming uncertain future in a climate-shocked world, a decline in the societal influence of mainline Christian denominations in New Zealand, the incorporation of a new religious movement (neo-monastic evangelicals) into Diocese J, and transnational institutional Anglican initiatives for change in response to de-growth in Western Anglicanism. I argue that the types of civic participation and social justice activities these young Anglicans chose to get involved with were influenced by their embodied experiences of rhythms of daily and spiritual life, and understandings of time, space, and theologies of human flourishing and pluralism.
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    Religiosity and well-being of Pentecostals and Catholics: a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1989) Joe, Thenmoliee
    This study examined the differences in religiosity and well-being between Catholics and Pentecostals. Subsidiary investigations were also carried out in the area of purpose in life and affect intensity. Religiosity was expected to moderate purpose in life in terms of well-being and affect intensity was expected to differ between the two groups. Subjects were selected from Catholic and Pentecostal Bible study groups. There were 122 Catholics and 125 Pentecostals. Respondents completed a questionnaire which contained measures of well-being, affect intensity, purpose in life, religiosity, and demographic information. Results indicated that there were differences between the two groups on all religiosity variables except knowledge. Both did not differ on well-being measures except on positive affect. There were no differences in affect intensity between them. Lastly, religiosity did not moderate purpose in life but both religiosity and purpose in life had independent effects on well-being. Purpose in life accounted for a greater proportion of variance than religiosity.
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    "Lasses, live up to your privileges, and stand up for your rights!" : gender equality in the Salvation Army in New Zealand, 1883-1960 : a thesis submitted to Massey University in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History
    (Massey University, 2017) Hendy, Raewyn
    This thesis evaluates The Salvation Army’s claim that women and men had equal status in the organisation, in the light of research from elsewhere in the world that women did not have genuinely equal opportunities in the organisation. It examines the gender history of The Salvation Army in New Zealand from the time of its arrival in Dunedin in 1883 until 1960 with its primary aim being to determine the nature and extent of gender equality in the organisation during this period. In order to do this, it examines the roles, opportunities and responsibilities offered both to male and female officers; discusses how women and men were portrayed in official publications, primarily the New Zealand edition of The War Cry; and looks for both obvious and subtle signs of discrimination against women officers. It also attempts to uncover traces of the voices and stories of the women who served The Salvation Army in New Zealand. Throughout the period under investigation women officers made up a very high proportion of Salvation Army officers in New Zealand. Prior to World War One, particularly in the period from 1883 to 1900, women officers were able to participate in most aspects of the work of The Salvation Army in New Zealand, with positions appearing to be allocated on merit and availability rather than on gender. Over time however and particularly in the years from 1930 to 1960, women officers were increasingly relegated to positions in smaller corps and into roles involving the care of women and children. Married women officers were often treated as subordinate to their husbands and offered limited opportunities within the organisation. The Salvation Army increasingly conformed to, rather than challenged, the gender mores of other religious denominations and of New Zealand society more generally. Therefore, I conclude, that on balance, although there were occasionally some exceptional women, and at some points, particularly during the years prior to World War One, a degree of equality, that The Salvation Army in New Zealand largely failed to offer equality of opportunity, or equal roles, responsibilities and status to its women officers.
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    The relationship between lotu and ako for Pacific university students in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Social Policy at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2011) Havea, Sesimani
    Improving the educational achievement of Pacific peoples is an on-going development issue in Aotearoa, New Zealand. This thesis explored the relationship between lotu (spirituality/faith/church) and ako (formal education) amongst Pacific university students. Lotu is defined within the context of the Christian tradition. The value of lotu is used interchangeably throughout this thesis with spirituality, faith, and church. Ako as defined within the context of this study is a Tongan term signifying education or the formal process of learning. The primary objective of this study is to identify the mechanisms by which lotu influences academic achievement of Pacific university students. A blend of qualitative ethnography and the Talanoa approach provided the conceptual framework. Two focus groups and eight individual interviews of Pacific students and graduates were conducted. The findings suggest a positive relationship between lotu and educational achievement for Pacific university students. The participants described their spirituality as a personal relationship with Christ which was reflected in their active practicing of: prayer; reading, studying and meditating on the Word of God; and attending church fellowship. Spirituality for the respondents was also emulated in their relationships, with God, with their kainga and with other people. These relationships were key motivations for their desire to succeed in their academic pursuits. Linked to the significance of these relationships was the participants’ definition of academic achievement which was beyond the mere attainment of a qualification but also about their ability to reciprocally give back to their kainga and increase their community’s wellbeing. In the midst of the inevitable trials and tribulations of the respondents’ social and academic journeys, their spirituality gave them hope, wisdom (poto) and courage to persevere in order to complete their studies. The findings suggest a need for continued support of Pacific students using the pastoral care model, as well as better collaborative approaches to policy making among tertiary institutions, key educational policy agencies and the Pasifika community.
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    Christian social workers and their sense of effectiveness in social work practice : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work, School of Health and Social Services, Massey University, Albany Campus
    (Massey University, 2010) Hare, Jennifer Lois
    While social work roots are undoubtedly firmly in religious soil, over recent years the emphasis has widened to include a more inclusive definition of spirituality that seeks to mirror the diverse society we now live in. How social work responds to this increasingly complex environment is a matter of concern for social work educators, practitioners and academics, who all share the same aim of developing the most effective ways to deliver services to the client. The evidence-based practice movement is an evolving response, seeking to offer quality research based solutions to be implemented in practice. Missing in the equation to date is the ability to capture the spiritual aspects of practice both for practitioner (in terms of ‘use of self’) and client ( in relation to spiritual assets that assist them). To this end this qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with eight Christian practitioners as examples of spiritually motivated social workers. The research sought to explore how a Christian perspective contributed to a sense of effectiveness in social work practice. The findings produced discoveries that concurred with the literature and revealed insights from the participants about the ways in which they sought to practice that were consistent with their most valued beliefs. Using the findings and the literature, practical applications are suggested as a way forward for the inclusion of spiritual aspects in evaluating effective social work practice.