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The UC Research Repository collects, stores and makes available original research from postgraduate students, researchers and academics based at the University of Canterbury.
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Recent Submissions
Individual and Family Sustainability: The Measure-Model-Entertain-Transform Approach
(2019) Chung C; Sundaram D
Attitudes towards the Treaty of Waitangi: the effects of education, age and political party affiliation
(1996) Ashton, Elizabeth
The intention of this thesis is to determine the effects of education, age and political party affiliation on attitudes towards the Treaty of Waitangi and Maori 'special rights', and possible reasons for these effects. Following an analysis of past studies it was hypothesised that those with a higher level of education were more likely to support the Treaty of Waitangi and Maori special rights, that younger people were likely to be more supportive of the issues than older people and that National Party supporters would be less supportive than those who affiliate themselves with the Labour Party or the Alliance Party.
A survey was undertaken to this end. This took the form of a questionnaire which was posted to Christchurch residents whose names had been taken randomly from the local electoral roll. A statistical analysis of the returned questionnaires revealed that attitudes towards the Treaty and Maori special rights do tend to be affected by p_eople's level of education, with stronger support found amongst those with a higher level of education. An analysis of the data according to age also revealed some statistically significant results, with younger people being more inclined to support both the Treaty and Maori special rights. The political party affiliation of respondents also appeared to affect the way these respondents felt about the issues, with National Party supporters showing less support for the Treaty and Maori special rights than Labour Party and Alliance Party supporters.
Theories of representative democracy and both the ideal and the actual influence of the public on government policies are discussed. Past analyses of New Zealanders' attitudes towards the Treaty are also examined, and are compared with an earlier chapter which briefly outlines the ways in which the government and various Maori groups have reacted to the Treaty of Waitangi since it was signed. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of the results, and suggests that the government would do well to develop an educative role to increase public awareness and support for its race policies.
American democracy: the poster child of what exactly?
(Stuff.co.nz, 2022) Mills K; Tan, Alex
Identifying the components of foundational Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy - Early results from a Delphi study
(Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education, 2023) MacCallum, Kathryn; Parsons D; Mohaghegh M
This article provides some initial results from the first phase of a Delphi study to identify the critical components of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy curriculum. This article explores the study results that address a four-level capability model, but only the lowest level of this model. The Delphi panel comprised 17 experts in AI, and the first round of the study used a survey to gather the experts' responses in three areas that were based on previous literature - knowledge (and concepts) of AI, skills related to AI, and understanding AI in context. A structured thematic analysis revealed several themes under these categories. For foundational knowledge and concepts, it was determined that three areas were needed, namely 1) what is AI? 2) applications of AI, and 3) AI technologies. Skills were divided into cognitive and technical skills, with cognitive skills further divided into 21st-century and applied skills. Understandings comprised social issues, risks, and debates. The repeated ideas that formed these themes gave rich insights into how an AI literacy curriculum might be structured and provided a firm foundation for subsequent rounds of the study, which will involve further iteration and consolidation of these ideas.
Women's freedom of movement and participation in psychosocial support groups: Qualitative study in northern India
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2019) Gailits N; Mathias, Kaaren; Nouvet E; Pillai P; Schwartz L
Background: Depression, the world's leading cause of disability, disproportionately affects women. Women in India, one of the most gender unequal countries worldwide, face systemic gender disadvantage that significantly increases the risk of common mental disorders. This study's objective was to examine the factors influencing women's participation in psychosocial support groups, within an approach where community members work together to collectively strengthen their community's mental health. Methods: This community-based qualitative study was conducted from May to July 2016, across three peri-urban sites in Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, Northern India. Set within an NGO-run mental health project, data were collected through focus group discussions with individuals involved in psychosocial support groups including women with psychosocial disabilities as well as caregivers (N = 10, representing 59 women), and key informant interviews (N = 8) with community members and mental health professionals. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: The principal barrier to participating in psychosocial support groups was restrictions on women's freedom of movement. Women in the community are not normally permitted to leave home, unless going to market or work, making it difficult for women to leave their home to participate in the groups. The restrictions emanated from the overall community's attitude toward gender relations, the women's own internalized gender expectations, and most significantly, the decision-making power of husbands and mothers-in-law. Other factors including employment and education shaped women's ability to participate in psychosocial support groups; however, the role of these additional factors must be understood in connection to a gender order limiting women's freedom of movement. Conclusions: Mental health access and gender inequality are inseparable in the context of Northern India, and women's mental health cannot be addressed without first addressing underlying gender relations. Community-based mental health programs are an effective tool and can be used to strengthen communities collectively; however, attention towards the gender constraints that restrict women's freedom of movement and their ability to access care is required. To our knowledge, this is the first study to clearly document and analyze the connection between access to community mental health services in South Asia and women's freedom of movement.