Theses and Dissertations

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    “An app can’t tell me how I feel!” : how do perimenopausal women understand themselves and their bodies using digital health apps? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Psychology (Health Psychology) at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Warwood, Diane Margaret
    PeriM is predominantly understood as a biological process defined by hormonal changes that begin the transition to menopause. It starts when there are “persistent differences in cycle length of seven or more days between consecutive cycles and continues until 12 months after the last menstrual period”. There is very little research on the lived experiences of periM. Digital health apps that are periM or menopause specific are relatively new and there are not many of them, they have had little to no research on them either. How the use of these apps could inform how perimenopausal women understood themselves and their bodies was the research question for this project. A Posthuman feminist theoretical perspective and a Postfeminsit healthism lens were used to look at the assemblage of woman-periM- society-technology. The research included Zoom platform meetings over 12 weeks with 7 women in the periM transitional stage. Cooperative inquiry was the methodology used as a means to collaboratively explore the entanglements of the assemblage. All participants in the meetings were co-researchers. Using Reflexive thematic analysis allowed an iterative analysis of the data gathered and identified three major themes which were: a) Lack of knowledge; b) Postfeminist & Neoliberal Healthism; and c) Self-knowledge through numbers (quantified self). The findings in this research project indicated that women’s experiences of periM were largely influenced a lack of knowledge of periM and being taken by surprise when it began and not having any support from the medical practitioners they approached. The Postfeminist and Neoliberal healthism discourse was identified as tying them into a good citizen narrative of maintaining health and improving oneself through a transformation narrative (or ‘ageless ageing’). The same discourse was applied to the entanglement of using digital health apps to gain self knowledge through numbers. Overall there was some knowledge gained by using the digital health apps but that was fleeting as they felt the apps were too demanding of their time and ‘life’ got in the way. The most awareness of themselves and their bodies they get is through relational connections with family, friends, work colleagues and with each other during the meetings.
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    Carbon footprint of open-cut pipelines (NZ context) : Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Manalo, Kevin
    Society is currently facing a climate crisis; our human activities, notably the burning of fossil fuels, emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The constant addition of GHG emissions is resulting in climate change. Nearly all countries agreed in the Paris Agreement 2015 to limit the global temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Science-based projections depict a concerning future. Should there be a failure to adequately mitigate our emissions, the impacts on humans and other species could be catastrophic. The Construction Industry is a vital sector that significantly contributes to a nation’s economic and social development. It builds and maintains infrastructure and serves as a significant source of employment. Buildings and construction account for 39% of global emissions, with 36% attributed to global energy use. While most research focuses on emissions from construction buildings, a literature review shows a lack of information regarding global infrastructure emissions. Recent research by Thacker et al. (2021) addresses this gap; when they combine infrastructure, building and construction, the total global emission amounts to a significantly higher value of 79%. Focusing on the stormwater, water, and wastewater sectors (three waters), the emissions amount to 5% of all emissions. Although water/wastewater emissions are only 5% of the costs, adaptation costs in the water sector are estimated to account for 54% of all costs. In Aotearoa, New Zealand, government and local authorities are making progress in capturing and reducing their carbon emissions. For instance, Auckland Council has set their goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, and Watercare aims to reduce its construction emissions by 40% by 2025; this is only two years away. Should local authorities impose the need to start reporting on carbon emissions on the construction industry, especially those in asset infrastructure delivery, research from the existing literature shows that the construction industry is not ready, not equipped, sees little need to do things differently, or does not know how to quantify carbon emission. The gaps in the research show that contractors should begin their carbon journey, and there are multiple carbon frameworks or standards without explicit critique on what works best. Understanding and knowing these standards takes time, and without a clear lead, information on critical inputs and variables required to represent the construction works accurately becomes muddy. As the standards were written to cater to different industries, the steps given are generic and do not go into detail about specific construction activities. Existing literature cautions that if the method and level of detail are unclear, final carbon footprint values can change. Further, emission sources need to be measured and quantified. However, units of measurement for these activities and productivity durations are typically not published as knowledge of these productivities is a trade secret and a competitive advantage to construction activity. To add to the complexity, the carbon science or emission factors that correspond to the emission activities are not readily available, and more research is needed to find local emission factor sources. In response to these challenges, the research aims to create and develop a simplified methodology and a template for contractors to create their carbon inventory on installing three waters open-cut pipeline excavation. A new Carbon Framework Methodology was developed based on the literature findings and data collection to fulfil the aim. A case study scenario was created where a 100ø PVC pipe is installed, and a 1.3m deep open-cut trench is excavated using standards based on Auckland Council stormwater and Watercare water and wastewater standards. An Excel-based carbon tool was created, and the steps in the carbon framework were followed. The final calculated carbon footprint values were verified using published Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). The carbon tool was presented to 18 participants from 1 tier one and multiple tier 2 contractors who have been installing water, wastewater and stormwater pipelines, with some contractors having over 20+ years in the industry. The research found that creating a carbon inventory is complex, multi-disciplined, requires construction methodology knowledge, and cannot avoid the need to learn carbon principles and carbon science (emission factors). The findings are significant as they discuss the implications of Carbon Accounting for Contractors, from knowing operation boundaries (Scope 1, 2 and 3) to the cost of upskilling, embedding, and implementing carbon management in construction projects. Minor findings were also discussed on the implications of Carbon Accounting for Designers and the heavy responsibility for Clients in ensuring that the capture of carbon emissions flows downstream to its value chain.
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    An explorative case study of the adaptation process used by an East Coast hill country sheep and beef farmer in New Zealand to cope with climate change : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Agribusiness at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Hollands, Sonia Brooke
    North Island East Coast hill country sheep and beef farmers in New Zealand are expected to face increased climate variability due to climate change. Over time the frequency, severity and intensity of adverse weather events such as ex-tropical cyclones, heavy rainfall events and drought will exacerbate resulting in increased uncertainty for farmers. As such, due to the changing climate in a farmer’s operating environment the development of a farmer’s adaptive capacity and their ability to manage and adapt to the impacts of climate change becomes important for sustaining a viable and resilient farming system. However, little is known about how a farmer with high adaptive capacity identifies change in their operating environment and the process they use to adapt their farming system to cope with such impacts. As such, to determine the main attributes associated with a high level of adaptive capacity and provide an understanding of a farmers adaptation process in relation to climate change, an extensive literature review was undertaken. This review helped to develop a conceptual framework that was used to guide this study. The main attributes associated with a high level of adaptive capacity that were identified are an internal locus of control, sense-making capability, capacity to learn to live with change and uncertainty, strategic thinking and planning capability, and high self-efficacy. A single explorative case study of an East Coast hill country sheep and beef farmer exhibiting a high level of adaptive capacity was used to investigate the adaptation process. The process used by the case farmer can be usefully separated into three main stages: 1) a sense-making stage where he; a) scans the operating environment for cues that indicate a change, b) identifies a change in the operating environment in relation to climate change, and c) assesses the nature and the impact of the change on the farm system, and 2) a SWOT analysis and strategy formulation stage where he; a) assesses the opportunities and threats that flow from the identified impacts of the change, b) undertakes an internal analysis and capability assessment to determine if the current suite of strategies can cope with the threats and opportunities, and d) on the basis of the previous step, if required, he formulates a new strategy (or strategies) to adapt to the impacts of the change, and 3) the implementation and control stage where he; a) implements the new strategy and b) monitors and evaluates the implementation of the new strategy. The farmer’s sense-making efforts and analysis of the farm system highlights the importance of gaining a complete understanding of the situation of change and its impact before acting upon it through a decision-making process. Based on such the SWOT analysis, it highlighted that the farmer’s buffer capacity to manage and cope with such impacts of climate change may be adequate in relation to the level of change identified in the operating environment. As such the case farmer identified that his current suite of strategies and associated tactics have the capability of coping with the threats and opportunities identified in relation to climate change on the East Coast. Such study also highlights that the formulation of new strategies is not always necessary and therefore prompts the continuation of making sense of change in his operating environment until he identifies that his suite of strategies are not capable of coping with an increased level of change.
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    Developing an instrumented scrum machine to measure strength and stability performance : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Mechatronics at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Jones, Euan Patrick
    Over the last two decades, there has been plenty of research involving an instrumented scrum machine to understand the forces and biomechanics during the scrum. A lot of the research was aimed at understanding and reducing the risk of injury, which led to significant changes to the scrum and its rules. There was a clear gap in understanding the relationship between the forces in the vertical and horizontal planes of motion during a scrum sustained push. There was also a gap in the research on measuring a player’s ability to control force in the vertical plane of motion to indicate stability. A new, prototype, a single-man scrum machine was developed to examine these gaps in the research and provide new measurements of strength and stability performance. Two experiments were carried out on the new scrum machine to provide enough data from four participants. From the resulting data, the conclusion was made that there is a strong positive linear relationship between the vertical and horizontal forces produced in the scrum. There was also enough evidence to conclude that the new scrum machine could measure a player’s ability to control the vertical force as they pushed. While also completing the aims of this research, the work completed in this project has opened new opportunities for further development around this topic.
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    “Our voice needs to be heard” : the impact of contract changes on clients of child and family services : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Policy at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Gardiner, Blake
    Caregivers of children balance unique complexities, dealing with their own personal commitments while often engaging with multiple agencies providing services to them and the children in their care. Child and family services that support caregivers and children are funded and contracted by the State through a process known as procurement where the State awards funding contracts to different community agencies. These funding contracts are susceptible to changes which can have profound impacts on caregivers’ lives. Contract changes occur when the State, holding decision-making power over the contract, makes contract alterations or funds another community agency for the contracted service. This qualitative-exploratory study aimed to explore how caregiver clients of State-funded community child and family services are impacted when contracts change resulting in a change of service for the client. This research found that clients’ needs were not accurately addressed or met within current procurement practice; communication and support for clients was lost during times of contract change; and there was a lack of available opportunity for clients to engage in a meaningful way with contract decision-making. These experiences resulted from mechanisms of neoliberalism, agency accountability to the State, and the current procurement approach which significantly impacted clients’ experiences. The findings highlighted that clients significantly impacted by contract changes are fully aware of this impact but felt their voices were ignored, keeping any contract decision-making out of their control. Further research exploring clients’ exclusion from decision-making and feedback provision would provide deeper insight into the systemic elements that inhibit clients sharing their voice when they have concerns about the support they receive. Finally, further research with a larger sample size would be of great benefit as this would provide a fuller picture of how contract changes impact on clients’ experiences of services.
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    Measurement of spatial distribution of cattle dung under high and low stocking densities using remote sensing : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Agricultural Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Dewhurst, Zachary
    Regenerative pasture management is increasingly being practiced in New Zealand and encompassing a range of principles which generally focus on using diverse plant species to maximise photosynthesis and strategically use grazing livestock, with an overall aim of improving soil health. An example of regenerative pasture management is undertaken on Mangarara Farm, a non-irrigated sheep and beef farm located in Elsthorpe in central Hawkes Bay. Mangarara farm focuses on having higher pre and post-grazing pasture biomass than more conventional practices and grazes these pastures at higher stocking density. In theory, this grazing practice leads to more pasture trampling into the ground and more even dung distribution than conventional grazing practices. A new measurement method was developed in this study to test whether there is a change in the spatial distribution of cattle dung under regenerative management compared to conventional management. This method used a drone fitted with a red, green and blue (RGB) camera to identify and spatially map dung patches following grazing in a defined area (cells) on Mangarara farm. The research trial compared conventional and regenerative management using low and high stocking density. The control grazing (conventional) had a low stocking density of 6 Angus heifers moved every four days. In comparison, regenerative grazing had a high stocking density of 57 Angus heifers moved multiple times daily. The novel drone method was validated against a systematic measurement approach to assess the accuracy of the drone in detecting dung patches, compared to the systematic manual marking of dung patches using a survey-grade Trimble GPS to manually mark every dung patch within the cell. The results showed that the drone detected for all cells a mean of 57% of the dung patches within the cells. Data analysis revealed that multiple key factors affected the drone accuracy, including trees, pasture height and the amount of bare soil and it is recommended that lower pasture height and less bare soil present will minimise variation in future measurements. The same drone method was then used to compare the spatial distribution of dung under regenerative and conventional management. The results showed a significant difference between the median number of dung patches/ha for regenerative and conventional management. The analysis showed that the dung was not randomly distributed throughout the cell and that the regenerative management had slightly less clustering than the conventional management, indicating that the dung was more evenly distributed through the cell under regenerative management. The results from this study have shown that a drone fitted with an RGB camera successfully detected the spatial distribution of dung. However, some key limitations were identified, including wet soil conditions, bare soil and pasture height, which made it difficult to identify the dung due to a lack of colour contrast with the pasture and/or muddy soils. Dung with a higher liquid content was also difficult to delineate as one or several dung patches. Despite these limitations, this novel drone fitted with an RGB camera method offers a cheaper alternative to the traditional labour-intensive method of measuring dung distribution via the grid method and provides scope to measure dung distribution under a range of topographies such as hill country. This new method provides an opportunity for more research on the distribution of dung under different grazing management conditions and offers the potential to improve our understanding of soil nutrient distribution and nutrient loss risk.
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    Dancing and laughing : women’s narratives of becoming single again at midlife in Aotearoa/New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Perrin, Aileen
    This research project had as it focus the narratives of women becoming single again at midlife. Heteronormativity coerces our complicity in gendered power relations of domination and subordination, and in particular, through the institution of marriage. Women not in long term relationships are often marginalised, with single women positioned as outsiders. This research used a relational narrative methodology to bring together the voices of six single again women in a counter narrative of our becoming. Through the analysis, three processes of becoming were identified that moved our becoming from painful memories into stories of living joyously and flourishing: reckoning, embracing freedom, and embodying new spaces joyfully.
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    Pūrākau : sharing the influence of whanaungatanga on Māori kaiako in online learning and teaching within Aotearoa tertiary sector : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Education, Online learning, Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Turner, Lee
    Mā te huru ka rere te manu. Adorn the bird with feathers and it will fly. The education sector aims to adorn ākonga with feathers. In order to support ākonga in their flight we must continually learn and grow ourselves, apply critical and creative thinking, and honour te Tiriti o Waitangi in our practice. The Aotearoa New Zealand education system, and in particular the tertiary sector, has an increased emphasis on the success of Māori, Pacific, and disabled ākonga. The sector needs to understand and analyse approaches to online learning and teaching, which this rangahau aims to do, in relation to Māori kaiako and their online pedagogy. This rangahau explores the pūrākau of three Māori kaiako who teach online in the tertiary sector within vocational education providers. It goes beyond the idea of frameworks and tools to hearing the stories of individuals, understanding the role of values and, in particular, whanaungatanga in their practice, and considering the intentions behind their pedagogy. The stories of the rangahau partners revealed their unique perspectives along with their commonalities. A deeper understanding of whanaungatanga emerged allowing the development of a framework for analysis of online practice/s. This rangahau provides a platform to enhance the mana of the rangahau partners, examine the role of values in pedagogy, and prompt us to always ask ourselves why. The key findings from this rangahau are of both personal and academic significance. Personally, this research has taught me a lot about myself, my own beliefs and values, and the importance to holding fast to what we believe is right even when it might not fit the mould. Academically it has contributed to the body of knowledge around whakawhanaungatanga in the online learning environment. This rangahau has shown that: • Whanaungatanga is an adaptive, responsive and agile value that can present itself in many forms. It does not have one definition but is a lived value that binds tangata together for the common good. • Our innate values underpin our intentions and actions explicitly and implicitly. The values we hold will inform our approach to learning and teaching and therefore we need to be conscious of the values we prioritise. • Māori kaiako who teach in the online learning environment can provide insight as to how we can better support Māori and all ākonga success. We need to connect with those around us and whakaronga in order to develop our own skills and knowledge. • Transparency, consistency, and preparation support the creation of a safe online learning environment which fosters engagement and encourages ako.
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    Digital game-based language learning affordances for adult users of English as a Lingua Franca in multinational enterprises : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Applied Linguistics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Ziemer, Raechel Ivy Elizabeth
    Despite the growing demand for English as a lingua franca (ELF) competence of employees of multinational enterprises and the growing perception of L2 proficiency as linguistic capital in the workplace, many employees find themselves unprepared for collaboration and creative communication with other ELF speakers. It is therefore pertinent to bridge this gap by investigating spaces and tools that afford language learning opportunities to adult working professionals in both extramural and formal contexts. Like other forms of media, digital games for commercial and educational purposes are easily accessible and offer various types of direct and indirect language learning affordances. Although digital game-based language learning affordance research has previously highlighted these possibilities, few studies focus on adult second language users outside of formal educational contexts. This thesis explores language learning affordances perceived by adult users of English as a lingua franca during their experiences playing digital games in L2. This project uses qualitative methodology in the form of semi-structured interviews to identify the direct and indirect language learning affordances perceived by six adults working in multinational enterprises, and to determine which types, or elements of digital game playing they perceived as beneficial to second language learning. Interactions in multiplayer gaming contexts were perceived as potential environments to develop interlanguage pragmatic skills, power dynamic roleplay, and seen as environments where collaboration, co-construction, and creative thinking in L2 were encouraged. It was determined that features of affinity spaces such as common endeavours, affiliation between participants, and player agency enable language learning affordances, whereas gaming inexperience and mismatches between target language complexity and a learner’s Zone of Proximal Development were preconditions which hinder L2 engagement. These factors strongly affect gaming in massive multiplayer online roleplay game platforms which were perceived as less attractive spaces for beginner L2 gamers.
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    'She imported Tommy Tanna' : an evaluation of media representations of the deportation of Pacific peoples from Australia in New Zealand and British newspapers c. 1880-1910 : a Master's thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts in History, Massey University
    (Massey University, 2023) Wirunrat, Talei
    The Pacific Island Labour Trade, most commonly called the “Blackbirding Trade” has been extensively studied both in New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific. However, little research has been conducted on how New Zealand, British and Fijian newspapers discussed the 1901 Pacific Island Labourers Act, which was enacted by the Australian Government to deport those Pacific Islanders that came over during the “Blackbirding” era. This thesis examines what people were told about the deportation of Pacific Islanders from Queensland, their expulsion from sugar plantations and what happened to them during this time using newspaper articles published during the period under review. It argues that newspaper coverage of the deportations was generally positive because it was seen as a 'solution' on how to deal with non-white labour, an issue which was then topical in a number of colonies in the British Empire. It identifies three key themes in newspaper coverage. First, with regard to economic motivations it argues that to the extent there was criticism of the deportations, it related to concerns that it would compromise the economic development of Australia. These concerns, however, were countered by arguments that white labour could now work in sugar plantations and that improved technology had made Pacific Island labour unnecessary. With regard to humanitarian arguments against the deportations, it identifies a range of opinion among Churches. Some opposed the deportations on the grounds of the harm it may cause deportees, but other Church leaders argued deportees could be safely accommodated and that the deportation process may also aid the Christianisation of the Islands. Finally, it argues with regard to race that the deportations were framed as a desirable measure to uphold the position of white workers and that they were framed as one part of a wider 'coloured labour' issue in the British Empire.