Gender performances in a service orientated workplace in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Abstract:  This paper uses Butler's (1990) concept of performativity to explore the constructions of feminine and masculine identities integral to the gendered bodily performance in 'interactive' service economies. The empirical research for this paper is based on Fat Freddie's student pub in Aotearoa/New Zealand, and was collected over an eight-week period using an ethnographic methodology. While Butler argues we 'do' gender, I explore how these 'fabrications' are naturalized, and the effect this has on the division of labour within Fat Freddie's. While these performances are regulatory, they are, however, unstable and alternate subject positionings can be adopted. I discuss how these subject positionings within Fat Freddie's can disrupt dichotomized gendered divisions and hegemonic understandings of appropriate gendered roles and identities.     

Emerging transitions in organic waste infrastructure in Aotearoa New Zealand

Aotearoa New Zealand is at a critical juncture in reducing and managing organic waste. Research has highlighted the significant proportion of organic waste sent to landfills and associated adverse effects such as greenhouse gas emissions and loss of valuable organic matter. There is current debate about what practices and infrastructure to invest in to better manage and use organic waste. We highlight the diversity of existing organic waste practices and infrastructures, focusing on Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. We show how debates about organic waste practices and infrastructure connect across three themes: waste subjectivities, collective action in place and language.     

Maintaining grassroots activism: Transition Towns in Aotearoa New Zealand

As a result of burgeoning social and environmental issues, localisation movements such as Transition Towns are emerging. However, tension exists as to the best scale and method to create and maintain this community activism. In this study, we explore the activities of two Transition Towns in Aotearoa New Zealand through a qualitative mixed methodology, and argue that relational notions of scale and the notion of progressive localisms enable an appreciation of the locally rooted but outward looking nature of Transition activities. In turn, this creates space to acknowledge the diffuse nature of change, redefine success and sustain momentum.     

A new look at population change and regional development in Aotearoa New Zealand

In New Zealand, population change is interlinked with regional development. Places growing in population attract regional investment, while regional investment—or lack thereof—can change migration patterns. However, to determine the appropriate response to population change for a community, it is important to understand that population change involves much more than “just” migration. Specifically, it involves interactions between the three components of population change: natural change (births minus deaths), net migration (international and internal) and population ageing (changing cohort size). For example, migration can be negative, but growth can be positive due to underlying natural increase or growth in cohort size. Responses need to differ, depending on these drivers. The goal of this article is to provide new insights into these interactions using data for 275 cities, towns and rural centres (hereafter “urban places”) in New Zealand for the period 1976 to 2013. The results show that natural change has been consistently positive for most urban places up to the present, although projections indicate that in the future this component will become negative across much of the country. At the same time, net migration shows considerable spatial variation, not only in terms of volume, but also direction (negative or positive), which differs markedly by age. A net gain of people of retirement age can offset a net loss of young adults to deliver overall growth, and vice‐versa, but the two have very different implications for longer term growth. An analysis of the drivers of net migration using GIS and machine learning techniques provides an indication of the importance of economic conditions (land‐use and access to markets), lifestyle, access to essential services (hospitals and education) and their interaction with age in regional change. The results show that population age is the best predictor of migration. Younger people are moving to cities for tertiary education and work and older people near or in retirement are moving to smaller lifestyle towns but also want to be close to amenities such as hospitals and international airports. The research also shows that natural lifestyle characteristics (landscape and climate), in combination with age are just as important as economic conditions for understanding migration. Regional development, such as infrastructure that helps business (ports and services) is important for the working age population but not necessarily the retirement age group. When regional development, age/life‐cycle stage and lifestyle come together, such as in Queenstown and Tauranga, net migration gain is high.     

Environmental Politics in New Zealand/ Aotearoa: Clashes and Commonality Between Māoridom and Environmentalists

It has long been assumed that Māori¹, like many other indigenous peoples, have utilised ecologically sustainable practices. However, over recent years a chasm has developed between many conservationists and various Māori groupings as environmental objectives and philosophies have come into conflict. This article seeks to examine this chasm, and then move towards an understanding about what may really be the basis of the claim for sustainable practices in this area.     

Trajectories of protection: Protectorates of Aborigines in early 19th century Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract: This article tracks the passage of Aboriginal protection, as a contested imperial institution, from the Caribbean to Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand via the Cape Colony and Britain. In doing so, it reconfigures the historical geographies of colonial philanthropy, and of those individuals who sought to implement and resist it, as a set of specific, intersecting trajectories. These trajectories, of people, ideas and texts, both connected and remade multiple colonial places. The article also advocates positioning the contemporary politics of the colonial past in Britain, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, within a wider, trans‐imperial, set of connections.     

Resilience and finances on Aotearoa New Zealand farms: Evidence from a random survey on the sources and uses of debt

Debt and income are keystones to financial resilience on New Zealand farms. This article utilises a survey on finance to assess farm financial health using a new model of resilience. It shows the majority of farms are financially strong. Further borrowing and development are possible. With increasing variability resulting from the longer term trade liberalisation as well as global warming impacts, the high equity will provide future resilience. On the other hand, profit levels are not high relative to the investment, but this has been the case for decades and has not caused problems due to farmer and farm family resilience.     

Rural change and tourism in remote regions: Developments and Indigenous endeavour in Westland,Te Tai o Poutini,Aotearoa New Zealand

Remote rural areas have encountered significant change and the need for renegotiation of economic and social priorities in the late 20th and early 21st century. In our broader research, we ask how have such communities been responding to this change? What role have different organisations and agencies played? And, how have they acted on the aspirations of marginalised communities? In this paper we examine these issues through a case study of Westland District on the west coast of Aotearoa New Zealand's South Island. We probe the general shift towards prioritising tourism in the District, and highlight particular experiences in regard to Indigenous endeavour in tourism. We find that those engaged in leading local development and tourism have not collaborated strategically across the sector and have not established meaningful partnerships with the community that recognise both economic and socio‐cultural aspirations.