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Rape and beyond : women empowering women
(1995) Rathgen, Elizabeth
The issue of rape was brought into the public arena by the women's movement in the 1960s. Radical feminists, in particular, explored the political nature of sexual relations of which rape is an outcome. The notion of women's inferiority and their exclusion from the public arena has been constituted by a patriarchal social order which supports the interests of men. Feminist poststructuralism examines the historical and social context of patriarchal discourses which perpetuate notions of male dominance and control.
This study, Rape and Beyond: Women Empowering Women, explores rape from the perspective of women for whom rape constitutes an injury. This viewpoint is in contrast to that of the male perspective which categorises rape as a crime. Throughout the study, the tension between these two positions continues to be highlighted. Traditional stereotypes associated with rape, present conflicting images of women as both passive and vulnerable, and yet at the same time, ultimately culpable. Despite the fact that rape is perpetuated by men, women are often blamed and their innocence is thus disputed. The propensity for victim-blaming is reflected in the responses made to women who have been raped by social institutions, such as the legal system, medicine, religion, and the family. This approach exacerbates rather than ameliorates the injury rape inflicts on women.
These issues are the focus of the empirical component of the study. Interviews conducted with six women who have had personal experiences of rape, and who are also involved in rape crisis service organisations, provide the data which are explored through the processes of both content and discourse analysis. The· analysis of the women's narratives draws on the French school of psychoanalysis which attends to the connection between language and the unconscious. The content of the women's narratives reveals several themes, including the losses the women have experienced as a result of rape, and the strategies they have devised to resolve their trauma. Analysis of the narratives articulated by the women, in accordance with feminist poststructuralism, reveals the underlying discourses, in particular those disseminated by patriarchy, that have affected the ability of the women both to understand the meaning of their experiences, and to reintegrate a sense of subjectivity in the aftermath of rape. The ability of the women to resist the domination of patriarchal discourses, and to employ various means to empower themselves and others is also highlighted. This, I argue, makes visible the strength of women as they continue to wage the battle against male sexual violence.
Visitor experience and special events : a comparative analysis of special event tourism in the South Island
(1998) Nicholson, Rachael
This thesis documents research undertaken to explore the nature of the visitor experience at a variety of special events. The research utilised a comparative framework to analyse similarities and differences across four events: The Marlborough Wine and Food Festival, the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival, Warbirds Over Wanaka (an airshow) and the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards (a country music festival). The aims of the research were fivefold: to investigate the profile characteristics of the New Zealand special event visitor population by examining samples drawn from four different special events; to examine whether the profile characteristics are similar to, or different from those in the general literature concerning special event visitors; to increase our understanding of special event visitors' information gathering and decision processes; to examine special event motivation; and finally, to examine special event visitor satisfaction.
Data for the most part were collected by way of a questionnaire survey. A combined total of 1,296 questionnaires were completed. Personal observation techniques were also utilised. The questionnaires were analysed using various statistical techniques. Nominal data were analysed using Chi-square tests and simple descriptive statistics, while Principal Components Analysis was used to delineate the underlying dimensions of event motivation behaviour. The relationship between motivation and satisfaction was explored through multiple regression analyses.
Significant differences occurred in the profile characteristics of visitors. This finding was consistent with existing literature. Special events were found to be a powerful influence on the decision to travel. It was also found, that while people were definitely motivated to attend different events for different reasons, some motivations persisted regardless of event type. In all cases, the seeking motivation appeared to dominate. For the most part, visitors were extremely satisfied with their special event experience, rating their overall enjoyment of it as either excellent, or almost excellent. A weak relationship at all times was found between motivation and satisfaction. Roughly uniform scores for satisfaction were thought to account for this. Ideas for future research as well as the practical implications of the results are presented throughout the thesis.
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