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    How indigenous systems and emergent leadership in the tourism sector in Vanuatu contribute to resilience in the face of shocks : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of International Development at Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024-03-10) Gadsby, Wade
    The Covid-19 pandemic severely challenged the tourism-dependent economies of Small Island States. Vanuatu’s international borders were closed for two years and, with tourism income making up almost half of the country's GDP, the people of Vanuatu had to adapt to survive. Historically, Pacific Island nations have adapted and worked well through crisis events, and this study examines how Pacific people have utilised Indigenous resilience systems to respond to recent shocks. In particular, it examines how ‘emergent leadership’, defined in the literature as managing uncertainty and mitigating crisis factors (Hunt, 2019), can help to achieve resilience in the face of crises. The research sought to define key components of both emergent leadership and resilience in the tourism sphere in Vanuatu, and it highlighted the role that emergent leadership plays within the Tourism Resilience Framework – a novel approach to operationalising an Indigenous values set in the tourism sphere. This research found that there were certain key factors that contributed to resilience in Pacific contexts, specifically: traditional knowledge (kastom nolej); the informal economy (kastom ekonomi); and Plan B (vanua). These factors have been central to past adaptation in the face of crises and could inform future responses to shocks and stressors. It also found that emergent leadership materialises in a crisis, showcasing the traits of a comprehensive understanding of the situation, adaptability, passion, and also through the use of storytelling as a means to convey change – particularly in the instances of slow-burn crises. The interaction of emergent leadership's traits and key factors of resilience are portrayed through a pawpaw tree metaphor, illustrating how they inform the necessary elements of effective adaptation in the face of shocks and stressors
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    Telling lives : children's stories of hope, loss, love, and violence in Aotearoa/New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Anthropology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2008) Infanti, Jennifer Jean
    This is a descriptive, exploratory study of children’s experiences and understandings of domestic violence in the Manawatu region of Aotearoa/New Zealand. It responds to the historical absence of children in anthropological research and in studies of domestic violence. The research is based on data gathered through group activities and discussions with children, five to twelve years old, in a domestic violence education and support group. A series of life history interviews was also undertaken. The study uncovers a myriad of ways that children make sense of domestic violence; incorporate their experiences of domestic violence into their identities; and manipulate, adapt, disrupt, or reproduce cultural knowledge about domestic violence in their own lives and relationships. Special focus is given to the role of helping or compassionate social relationships in children’s lives, not only for the physical safety of children but also for their ability to cope with domestic violence and bounce back from other hardships in life. The children’s narratives shared in this study have practical implications for domestic violence service delivery in New Zealand, as well as applied research with children more generally. The study also highlights children’s capacities for powerful observations, insights, and critical analysis. The thesis itself incorporates many different modes of data (re-)presentation, including poetry, drama, vignettes, and experiments with narrative voice and researcher reflexivity. The use of these literary forms helps to weave multiple perspectives into the thesis, allowing participants to speak for themselves. It also assists in producing an engaging and accessible account of children’s lives, which shows or represents lived experience, an alternative to the large number of statistical analyses that exist in the literature on domestic violence.