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    Moving beyond 'a hierarchy of pecs and penises' : how gay and queer men contest, resist, negotiate, and perform masculinity : 219855 research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements to the degree of Master of Communication at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Kaulback, Martin
    This narrative inquiry examines the identities and lives of nine gay and queer men living in Wellington, New Zealand as narrated and performed in hour-long semi-structured interviews. Viewing identities as social constructions that are generated through people’s interactions within specific physical and temporal contexts, this research project examines the performative construction of gay and queer masculinity, and the effects of gender and sexuality in the participants’ lives. Through the perspective of a queer male researcher, this project locates gay and queer men within their wider struggles with heteronormativity, and gives voice and privilege to their minority identities and experiences. Narrative analysis of the participants’ stories focuses on how gay and queer individuals navigate their lives as non-normative men who are Othered by traditional, hegemonic and hierarchical masculinity. Viewing identities as unstable and requiring of endless (re)negotiation and (re)performance, this research also examines the complex hierarchical construction of hegemonic homomasculinity by some straight-acting gay men who bolster their own gender performances by Othering femme-presenting individuals. It explores how heteronormative gender constructs and hypermasculine, hypersexual stereotypes affect the lives of the participants, identifying poor self-image, feelings of shameful and inadequate masculinity, and the need for secrecy about their sexuality as key drivers in homomasculine identity development. Additionally, media, pornography and violence are examined as significant in the generation and delayed performance of homomasculine identities. Finally, this research also analyses how some takatāpui and queer-identifying participants negotiate Self with high agency, and perform their identities free of the homohierarchy of traditional, hegemonic gender constructs. By integrating aspects of their gendered, sexual Selves within their identities, queer and takatāpui participants make clear the means by which people with non-normative homomasculine identities may be empowered, liberated and validated as people like all others.
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    How do psychologists maintain their professional competencies? : voices from the field : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Brennan, Jenny
    This research explored how five psychologists in Aotearoa New Zealand maintained their professional competencies throughout their careers. Using a qualitative approach, and drawing from social constructionism and phenomenology, the collective case study research design facilitated the exploration of participants’ experiences of maintaining their mandatory competencies required to practice as psychologists, through semi structured interviews. The research found that the participants identified themselves as reflective and evidence-based practitioners, with a strong sense of personal responsibility towards maintaining their competencies. The challenges they faced in maintaining the competencies and the solutions to mitigate the challenges were all centred around the workplace. Based on the findings the key suggestions made include: Aligning policies and procedures in all psychologists’ workplaces with legislation and evidence based practice; aligning continuing competence programmes with performance planning; building leadership and cultural supervision, and making high quality supervision accessible throughout the profession; better access to professional information and new research in the field; adopting a coaching and mentoring approach to professional learning and development; and legitimising the valuable collegial support that psychologists relied upon to maintain their competencies. These suggestions are also well supported by the literature in helping psychologists to practice psychology competently in order to ensure public safety.
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    To what extent are principles of kaupapa Māori reflected in the current practices of Māori mediators in Aotearoa? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Management at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Hau, Te Reo O Te Omeka
    In the current practice of mediation as a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) within Aotearoa there has been very little research conducted into principles of kaupapa Māori and how these concepts are reflected in the practice of mediation in Aotearoa. Indeed, almost all my studies completed through Massey University’s Dispute Resolution Centre within the Massey Business School have been based on research from a Euro- Centric perspective. This gap in current mediation research is the main motivator in designing the following as my research question: “To what extent are Principles of Kaupapa Māori reflected in the current practices of Mediators in New Zealand?” In addressing this question this paper intends to contribute to mediation literature by investigating principles of kaupapa Māori within the current mediation process practiced in New Zealand. It will seek to address if kaupapa Māori principles of Whakapapa, Whanaungatanga, Mana, and Tapu are prevalent within a mediation process and to what extent. Existing literature is scarce on this topic however some reliance will be placed on Tomas & Quinces’ (2007) contribution to Spillers Dispute Resolution in New Zealand as well as comparisons with literature in the restorative justice field and mediation and indigenous dispute resolution writings Semi-structured interviews of 10 currently practicing Māori mediators have been undertaken to assist in answering the research question. Results were presented as participant narratives where seven themes were analysed and presented to demonstrate how Māori principles and practices can enhance the mediation process.
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    Narratives of agency : Afghan refugee background students' experience of schooling in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Abd Rahman, Mastura
    Little is known about the experiences of refugee background students in New Zealand high schools, and more specifically we lack narratives from more recent groups like those from Afghanistan. Research about Afghans in New Zealand does not address the experiences of how young Afghan students engage with schooling and education in the new environment. As schools are often a challenging navigational space during the transition and adaptation for these students, it is imperative to reflect on their experiences for transformative purposes. This study aimed to understand those transitional experiences through the lens of the students’ sense of agency. Data were drawn from a phenomenological research approach that included in-depth interviews with six senior high school students who were former refugees from Afghanistan. The study examined the role and ways in which a sense of agency helped these students to succeed in achieving their educational goals, by identifying the factors that provided impetus for the development of their sense of agency in the educational context. The study’s conceptual framework was built on an ecological model. The ecological perspective illuminated the links between the students’ agency, their funds of knowledge, and their socio-cultural capital. The findings highlighted multiple contexts in which the students illustrated their capacities for agency, and how that ultimately helped them to navigate ways in which they believed, decided and acted. The findings also underscored the need to recognize as well as leverage on refugee background students’ agency and their agentic resources. These students’ narratives can inform and reform underlying premises of current policy, practices and pedagogy for refugee students, which can lead to a more engaged and authentic understanding about their learning and experiences.
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    'Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds' : 'Wetekia te mau here o te hinengāro, ma tātou anō e whakaora, e whakawātea te hinengāro' : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work at Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Ruwhiu, Paulé Aroha
    Liberation and emancipation are two key concepts of a decolonisation process which contributes to a journey of self-discovery. Decolonisation is a process that connects the past, present and future allowing the participant time to learn about their own historical truths in a facilitated and safe environment. Knowing who you are and where you come -- ‘Ko wai au’- Who am I?’ -- is central to social work education. Therefore, the structures in place to work through this question, need to cater to all participants in a balanced and parallel way, from two cultural lens: Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti. This study explores the process of decolonisation and the experiences of the participants who are engaged in social work and social work education. The methodological underpinnings to this study incorporate three eternal realms of Mātauranga Māori, Mātauranga-ā-iwi and kaupapa Māori theory. The framework Te Pou Tarawāho o Pūrākau invites participants’ stories and narratives as a way of sharing their experiences of a decolonisation process as part of their social work education and professional development. This is done as a qualitative approach utilising individual’s time, space and hui as a collective voice. This study presents three kete of knowledge as part of the implementation and a proposed working decolonisation process. This thesis challenges tertiary providers, training providers and the regulatory authority to consider the unification of each kete and what role each play inside social work education and training. Each kete is intricately designed and contains important aspects that contribute to decolonising the current curriculum of social work education, policy and practice with the participant as the receiver. While this study ultimately focuses on Māori participants, it also supports decolonisation for all ethnicities in particular those who are studying and are currently in practice in social work and social work education.
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    Social workers' perspectives : how can children and young people who have had contact with both Care and Protection and Mental Health Services be supported to experience positive outcomes? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Mounter, Jessica
    This thesis explored social workers’ perspectives on how children and young people who have had contact with both care and protection and mental health services can be supported to experience positive outcomes. Through thematically analysing semi-structured interviews conducted with social workers, it examined the barriers to positive outcomes and the ways in which social workers are able to utilise practice approaches which can make a positive difference in the lives of children and young people. A particular focus was given to the ways that neoliberal beliefs shaped the policy environment that governed social work practice under the Fifth National-led Coalition Government between 2008 and 2017. The thesis found that, even in this environment, social workers were able to choose to practice according to social work approaches that make a difference; particularly strength-based practice, child centred practice, focusing on family, and collaboration. The findings of this thesis imply that social workers can make a difference regardless of the policies that govern them. However, barriers and gaps in services cannot be overcome by social work practice alone and need attention from policy makers. In particular, effective intervention for complex trauma that takes into account the long developmental course that trauma related difficulties take and involves both clinical and family-based interventions needs to be prioritised by policy makers.
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    Human trafficking in Mindanao : personal narratives and local perspectives : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Anthropology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Lennox Townsend, Amie L.
    Academic as well as popular attention to human trafficking has increased dramatically in recent years, while the demands for immediate action have meant that counter-measures, from political legislation to direct intervention, have often preceded research-based insights. Researchers have demonstrated the value of close research in understanding this phenomenon. However, such in-depth local research is still an emerging area, and little work has been done on the Philippines specifically. In Mindanao, known issues include various forms of labour trafficking, sex trafficking, underage soldiers, and trafficking of migrants. Human trafficking in Mindanao is a complex problem, both in terms of the multiple forms of trafficking that occur and the Philippines’ unique social setting. The purpose of this research has been to explore how human trafficking in Mindanao relates to wider social processes. I lived in Eastern Mindanao for five months of fieldwork, from December 2015 to May 2016. During this time, I talked with and interviewed people who had experienced exploitative labour, human trafficking, or trafficking-like practices, whose life stories are at the centre of this research. I also spoke with government and NGO workers from anti-trafficking and related agencies who provided insights into trafficking and local conditions, as well as relevant community members such as former migrants and sexual labourers. In this thesis, my original contribution to knowledge is an exploration and analysis of the social context which influences human trafficking in Mindanao, based on first-person accounts which are contextualised in the wider society and theoretically analysed through a framework of structural, symbolic, and compounding violence. Drawing on anthropological approaches to violence, I have considered human trafficking as a form of violence in the context of multiple violences. Within this framework I also present the idea of compounding violence as a lens to explore and conceptualise the ways that violence often leads to further violence. My findings suggest that human trafficking in Mindanao is an outcome and extension of local social conditions, not separate to normal social processes and realities, and one manifestation of wider compounding structural violence. At the same time, I argue that the narratives from those who have experienced trafficking also reveal deep and complex cultural, social, and personal expressions of meaning, resilience, and hope within constrained, unequal, and even violent circumstances.
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    Intimate partner violence : advocates expertise on the complexity of maternal protection : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Loft, Melanie L.
    Intimate Partner Violence is a pervasive and insidious epidemic within Aōtearoa New Zealand with one in three women experiencing psychological or physical abuse by their partners in a lifetime. The National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges (NCIWR) seeks to prevent and eliminate violence and in doing so liberate women abused by their partners. This research is a contribution to the gap in psychological research which calls upon the expertise of refuge advocates from a feminist standpoint and additionally adds to valuable production of knowledge from a New Zealand context. The aim was to explore how advocates perceive and understand mothering and maternal protection in the context of intimate partner violence and moreover how advocates’ understandings impact their experience of client protection. A qualitative, thematic approach opened a space for advocates to voice their experiences and importantly challenge the socio-political landscape which maintains a focus on women’s responsibility as protectors, opposed to perpetrator accountability. Societal expectation of mothering does not take into account the context of intimate partner violence and as mothers fail to meet expectations, notions of mother-blame are ascertained. The analysis identified three major themes: The first theme concerns the severity of perpetrator harm and the direct interruption intimate partner violence has on mothering; shaping and complicating mothering. The second theme identifies a multitude of factors mothers juggle to protect their children within the context of intimate partner violence. The final theme involves understanding the mode of survival in which women come to live, how women navigate fundamental support systems, and finally how the role of the advocate is pivotal for the safety of women and children. Overall, findings showed an alignment between the expertise of advocates and existing international research.
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    Insight into adult epilepsy care in New Zealand : an exploration of the nurses' role and care they provide for adults with epilepsy : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Philosophy in Nursing at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) McCarthy, Kinuko
    Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders that has an on-going tendency for reoccurring seizures. It is estimated to affect between 20,000 and 28,000 people in New Zealand (Bergin, Sadleir, & Walker, 2008). Epilepsy care includes not only giving treatment but also providing continuous support to people with epilepsy (PWE). Nurses have the potential to play a significant role in epilepsy care by providing education and support to PWE and their families. Through my working experience as an Epilepsy Speciality Clinical Nurse, I recognised issues in epilepsy care and I found out that there have been no studies in New Zealand relating to a nurse’s role and care of PWE. This is why I decided to undertake study of and exploration of the nurses’ role and care they provide for PWE. Grounded theory methodology was adopted to explore adult epilepsy care by interviewing nurses who provide care to PWE. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews by telephone, Skype, or face-to-face from the nurses. The data was analysed by open coding, development of categories, and theoretical coding. During this process, the epilepsy care pathway and the negative cycle of epilepsy diagrams were developed. At the end of the analysis two theories ‘Epilepsy care in New Zealand is far from ideal due to the lack of guidelines for nursing practice’ and ‘If the profile of epilepsy nursing is raised in New Zealand, delivery of the epilepsy care would improve’ were developed. The findings are discussed in relation to these two theories and consequently four recommendations: creating guidelines, building epilepsy nurses’ network, promoting more research on epilepsy nurses’ role and their value in epilepsy care, and increase utilisation of digital technologies, were made to improve the delivery of epilepsy care in New Zealand.
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    What works in recovery? Alcohol and other drug professionals lived experiences of addiction, treatment and recovery in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Jowett, Rachel Victoria
    The New Zealand Government’s health surveys consistently identify that alcohol and other drug (AOD) addiction is an issue for New Zealanders. However, there is a lack of qualitative research on the lived experiences of people who have previously or currently experience AOD addiction in New Zealand. This research provides insight into the factors that contribute to, and create barriers to, successful AOD addiction recovery. The qualitative method of constructivism was the approach used to conduct the research. Eight participants took part in semistructured interviews, sharing their stories in a narrative style and recounting experiences from the time their addictions began, their entry into AOD addiction recovery and their entry into the AOD workforce. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis, themes were identified that highlighted what contributed to participant’s successful AOD addiction recovery and what created barriers to AOD addiction recovery. Nine themes emerged through the data analysis process these were: stigma; defining your own recovery; reconstruction of the self; the role of social learning; opportunities for career progression; specific populations including youth, people with co-existing mental health and AOD addiction issues, women, and families; strengths and limitations of the health, social service and AOD workforce; addiction and the law; and barriers to accessing AOD support services. A consistent finding across these nine themes was that the barriers to AOD addiction recovery in New Zealand experienced by the research participants were systemic, and preventable. The recommendations of this thesis are that the barriers to recovery, and contributors to successful recovery identified in this research are addressed; in particular the themes of stigma and systemic barriers to wellbeing.