Arts

Project

The earliest written record of Polynesian languages come from two word lists made in Futuna and Tafahi/Niuatoputapu recorded by Jacob Le Maire on his voyage into the Pacific 400 years ago. In 1616, Jacob Le Maire and Willem Schouten led a Dutch expedition on board the d'Eendracht across the Pacific. On this voyage Le Maire recorded two vocabularies, one at Tafahi/ Niuatoputapu and the other at Futuna. Le Maire’s journal was published posthumously in 1622, allowing for the distribution of these word lists to all future Pacific voyagers.

The Niuatoputapu language became extinct following Le Maire’s visit, becoming replaced by Tongan, meaning Le Maire’s 32-word vocabulary is the only data available for this language (Biggs 1971:491; Pawley 2007:14). It has been claimed that the Niuatoputapu language is Samoic (Kern 1948), or a mix of both Tongan and Samoan (Biggs 1971). However, Tongan and Samoan are the only languages scholars have compared this language to.

This project will investigate the truth of these assertions by examining lots of neighbouring languages, and seeing where the Niuatoputapu language correctly fits in the wider linguistic landscape.

Role

The student will create a database with translations of the 32 Niuatoputapu words from other geographically close languages. They will also need to examine Le Maire’s Futunan word list, to see what may be gleaned from this too. The list was originally written by Dutch people, who’s orthography is different to English, and to modern Polynesian languages. Therefore, the student will help create a transcription of the list in English/Polynesian orthography, in order to help identify the language, comparing it to modern Polynesian languages. The goal will be to create a phonetic sketch of the Niuatoputapu language, and then use that to examine the relationship between the language and other Polynesian languages, hopefully identifying which language it was most closely related to.

Required Skills

This project is open to linguistically interested students, who have a basic grasp of phonetics and/or Polynesian languages. The student must have good research skills, with the ability to sift through large documents to find relevant data. The student must also be able to reference in APA style, or be willing to learn how to. The student will not have to speak any other language apart from English, though knowledge of Dutch may be useful (however, it is not a pre-requisite).

Benefits to Scholar

The scholar will benefit from this project in developing greater research skills, experience in data collection, experience in working with under-documented languages and a greater knowledge of linguistic theory. We hope they will develop a greater understand of linguistic/historic analysis, as well as presenting data in a fashion compatible with further linguistic research. This work can be a springboard onto further postgraduate linguistic work.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project aligns with the goals of Taumata Teitei in two significant ways. Firstly, the research itself aligns with the University’s desire for furthering Pacific research. In investigating a historic event in a linguistic framework, we are growing the interdisciplinary Pacific scholarship, and deepening our understanding of the Pacific past and present (Priority 1, Research and Innovation). Secondly, this project aims to create and enabling environment, in particular improving this student’s opportunities within Pacific scholarship and putting them in a stronger position for future postgraduate research. The student will also be expected to present this research, either to an academic audience or a media audience, thus aligning with Priority 3 of (Research and Innovation) which pushes for upskilling of students in research engagement and communication.

Project

Sport has a bidirectional relationship with the natural environment; just as sport is reliant upon the natural environment, sporting activities also have an impact on that environment. Because of sport’s reliance on a stable natural environment, the climate crisis poses an existential threat to sport. Climate dependent sports such as cricket, golf and snow sports are particularly at risk. Likewise, sport has a significant carbon footprint, especially professional and for-profit sporting organisations and competitions. While these sporting entities have been slow to quantify and mitigate their environmental impact, a number of sporting organisations and competitions have produced environmental sustainability strategies and adaptation initiatives. Conversely, despite this apparent concern and the threat posed by climate change, sponsorship deals with fossil fuel companies continue to be commonplace. For example, FIFA, which has substantive, if controversial, sustainability plans and marketed the 2022 Men’s World Cup in Qatar as ‘carbon neutral’. It is also recently announced a major sponsorship deal with Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer.

Role

As part of a larger exploration of sport, climate change and global political economy, this project maps the degree of fossil fuel sponsorship in the sporting world as well as the representation of this sponsorship by sporting organisations.

The scholar’s work will be divided into four parts. In the initial part of the scholarship, the scholar will identify, annotate, and catalogue academic research on fossil fuel sponsorship of sporting organisations and competitions. The second part of the scholar’s work will require them to identify and classify relevant sporting organisation and competitions and then map these entities sponsorship arrangements with fossil fuel companies. In the third step of the project, the scholar will catalogue press releases and social media announcements of sponsorship deals and identify key trends within these announcements. Finally, the scholar will produce a visual report that provides a comprehensive overview of fossil fuel sponsorship in sport.

Required Skills

The scholar should have a strong understanding of, and passion for, global sport. An ability to create and maintain a thorough and accurate database of information gathered from web searches is required, as well as excellent research and writing skills. A broad understanding of the politics and economics of climate change action would be beneficial.

Benefits to Scholar

The scholar will work closely with the project supervisor to gain greater understanding of the relationship between sport and climate change, as well as the influence of corporate sponsorship in the sporting world. In developing this understanding through thorough analysis of primary and secondary sources, the scholar will cultivate critical research and organisational skills. They will also develop their ability to construct an academic literature review, which would be advantageous for their future academic study, especially at a post-graduate level.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project aligns with Taumata Teitei by directly addressing what it means to have ‘fair, ethical and sustainable’ sport. In particular, by critically exploring the intersection of sport, climate change, and corporate sponsorship, the project speaks to the transition to sustainable ecosystems.

Project

The New Zealand Youth Safety Survey (NZYSS) explores young people’s experiences of diversity, identity, and conflict in Aotearoa, and is unique in also collecting the incidence of youth hate crime victimization and perpetration in Aotearoa. The survey replicates the Australian Youth Safety Survey (AYSS) but has been amended to fit into the Aotearoa context. The NZYSS is unique in that it includes elements of a strength-based approach. It was designed to explore young people’s community resilience and effective support and coping strategies. The survey provides an opportunity for written storytelling to capture and subsequently highlight stories of coping with safety concerns, with a focus on improving wellbeing and interpreting data in positive and productive ways. Data collection for the first wave started in May 2024 and is currently still ongoing.

Role

With data collection hopefully completed within the next few months, we would like to work with the summer scholar on compiling a technical report. A technical report details the survey and methodology and summarizes the responses collected within the Aotearoa context. The summer scholar will also help with running some basic statistical tests (via STATA/SPSS) and there will be an opportunity to gain experience with searching for relevant literature and with drafting of literature reviews. I am expecting a motivated and diligent summer scholar, who can work together with me and the Australian team. Someone who is also willing to work on their own (with direction from us). We expect the scholar to check in with us to let us know how they are getting along with their work and to let us know if any additional information/training is necessary to complete their tasks. We are also keen to create a space for the scholar to learn from us and for us to learn from the summer scholar.

Required Skills

Quantitative data analysis skills (STATA/SPSS); Good writing and referencing skills; Familiarity with Microsoft Word; An interest in criminology and, more specifically, the topic of hate crime.

Benefits to Scholar

The scholar will gain experience working on a survey project. This will include learning about survey design and exploring a recently collected dataset, running statistical tests, and compiling a technical report. These are highly employable skills. Some quantitative experience is needed, other training will be provided (i.e., for specific software to compile the technical report). The student will get an opportunity to network with the team, which includes colleagues located at Australian Universities, and there may be opportunities to co-present/co-author a paper. I also plan to discuss postgraduate opportunities with the summer scholar, which also include the possibility of using datasets for postgraduate dissertations/ theses in the future.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project aligns well with the strategic initiatives and priorities set out in Taumata Teitei, especially in the context of health and well-being and just, cultured and engaged communities. We know that hate crimes hurt more, and that it is not “just” the victim who is targeted in a hate crime, hate crimes target entire communities in Aotearoa. The strength-based approach of this project makes it relevant, purposeful, and impactful for communities in Aotearoa. Hate crime is also one of humanity’s greatest challenges and the project has the potential to feed into mana-enhancing services and practices in the future.

Project

The Roonka Project is an ongoing research project with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation reanalysing 1970s data from a large burial site. We have re-analysed the site formation, burial practices and individual human remains using the data to address issues around cultural and economic change during the last 10,000 years in the Murray Valley of Australia – one of the best watered areas of the continent. The project members are at the stage of writing up individual studies but also pooling data from different aspects of the site. Scholar’s Work and Expectations: A major component of the research project has been reconstructing site formation and the chronology of individual mortuary activities. This work has just been accepted for publication but a further part of that work is developing a Harris Matrix of the site. A Harris Matrix is a tool used to depict the temporal success of contexts and thus the sequence of depositions on the site. At Roonka this is complicated because of intercutting contexts but developing a visual depiction of the sequence of activities will help in further analysis when we can establish sequences of events or when there seem to be spatial differences across the site.

Role

The successful summer scholar will work with Littleton and consult with other team members to take the published data first and convert it to a Harris Matrix and then go back and look at the data we have on burial sequence to insert that finer level data into the matrix. The final matrix will be a significant part of the final site publication as well as part of an infographic for the community. The student therefore will work with the published data, the site plans and the specific sequences of burials we have so far identified and pull those into a Harris Matrix diagram.

Required Skills

3rd year or honours in archaeology or biological anthropology or related discipline; Good oral and written communication skills; Familiarity with the nature of archaeological data and reports; Willingness to experiment with computer programs; Organisation skills – thoroughness, attention to detail.

Benefits to Scholar

The project involves the scholar working with other members of the research team and technical staff within the department. We will facilitate that through meetings which will give the scholar the experience of teamwork and being part of a larger project which helps generate the experience of research in anthropology. The summer scholar will participate with the biological anthropologists in the department in our regular reading and writing groups which will give them contact with research students and with the broader field. Advice on technical aspects of the work will involve the student working with archaeologists and biological anthropologists within the department. All of these interactions will generate a sense of how research works, how projects sit within a broader literature, and the experience of working alongside postgraduate students.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

The project falls within the strategy of advancing just, cultured and engaged communities, given its commitment to collaboration with the local community associated with Roonka. Our commitment to outreach on multiple levels and in diverse ways recognises the diversity within that community. In addition, the project has been predicated upon the principle of data sovereignty and this current work is part of ensuring we complete our commitment to ensuring distributed, and secure knowledge systems. These commitments on the part of the project reflect our focus on lasting relationships (whanaungatanga) between the community and the team, and our recognition of the First Nations stewardship of Roonka, its land and people (kaitiakitanga).

Project

The Roonka Project is an ongoing research project with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation reanalysing 1970s data from a large burial site. We have re-analysed the site formation, burial practices and individual human remains using the data to address issues around cultural and economic change during the last 10,000 years in the Murray Valley of Australia – one of the best watered areas of the continent. The project members are at the stage of writing up individual studies but also pooling data from different aspects of the site.

Role

A crucial part of the project is our commitment to produce a range of materials for the community. These take the form of infographics, a website, posters, resources for teachers. Equally important, as the project comes to an end, is to ensure that the digital data from the site is properly organised and has a central repository for the community who hold sovereignty over the data (the team has a written agreement regarding our use and access). Therefore, the summer project involves two aspects. First, the successful applicant will research different types of outreach and with team members develop materials for the community. Second, the scholar will work on co-ordinating the digital data, ensuring that the final versions are correctly organised and filed in a way that is appropriate for long term storage and use.

Required Skills

Familiarity with biological anthropology or archaeology (preferably 3rd year or honours level); Good writing and oral communication skills including any skills in the production of media; Able to use Word, Powerpoint, and Excel (Access would be really helpful as well); Organisational skills – thoroughness, attention to detail.

Benefits to Scholar

The project involves the scholar working with other members of the research team and technical staff within the department. We will facilitate that through meetings which will give the scholar the experience of teamwork and being part of a larger project which helps generate the experience of research in anthropology. The summer scholar will participate with the biological anthropologists in the department in our regular reading and writing groups which will give them contact with research students and with the broader field. Advice on technical aspects of the work will involve the student working with Anthropology illustrator, photographer and lab technician as well as getting advice from eResearch. All of these interactions will generate a sense of how research works, how projects sit within a broader literature, and the experience of working alongside postgraduate students.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

The project falls within the strategy of advancing just, cultured and engaged communities given its commitment to collaboration with the local community associated with Roonka. Our commitment to outreach on multiple levels and in diverse ways recognises the diversity within that community. In addition, the project has been predicated upon the principle of data sovereignty and this current work is part of ensuring we complete our commitment to ensuring distributed, and secure knowledge systems. These commitments on the part of the project reflect our focus on lasting relationships (whanaungatanga) between the community and the team, and our recognition of the First Nations stewardship of Roonka, its land and people (kaitiakitanga).

Project

The Mughal empire ruled most of the Indian subcontinent in the early modern period. In addition to its vast and diverse empire, the Mughals presided over a supremely magnificent court. Its rulers were refined, informed and discerning patrons of the arts, like their European counterparts. This project will facilitate a comparison between cultural patronage at early modern European courts with the Mughal court, especially those of Akbar (1556-1605), Jahangir (1605-1627) and Shah Jahan (1627-1658). The focus will be on the whole panoply of cultural patronage: art, architecture, literature, dress, jewellery, beauty, music, literature and science. The patronage of both men and women will be considered.

Role

This project asks the Summer Scholar to develop an annotated bibliography of the literature on cultural patronage at the Mughal imperial court 1526 - 1761. This will include secondary literature as well as some primary literature that has been translated into English, such Abul Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari. In addition, the scholar will identify key forms of patronage and examples and provide a report. The scholar will work with the supervisor to compare these forms and works with contemporaneous European examples.

Required Skills

History, Art History or English major, ideally with some background in the early modern period; Excellent critical reading and writing skills; A knowledge of and/or interest in Indian culture and possibly even relevant languages (Hindustani, Persian) would be ideal but is not essential; A background in Art History is not essential.

Benefits to Scholar

Academic mentoring, especially with research and academic writing; Training in doing interdisciplinary research; Facilitating links for the Scholar within the wider early modern postgraduate community in the School of Humanities.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

I will serve as a kaiārahi, mentor, facilitating cross cultural and interdisciplinary research and supporting academic growth and postgraduate potential.

Project

Two students

Many of our global socio-environmental challenges (climate change, biocultural diversity loss, poverty) require trans-disciplinarity – understood here as cross-cultural and cross-situational collaboration and solidarity. A key consideration with respect to this requirement is an understanding of and commitment to how diverse knowledges (Indigenous and otherwise) can be woven together well. A further consideration is how we ensure that Indigenous knowledge and the communities in which this knowledge evolves is recognised, engaged with, and enabled. This series of (at least 2) projects explores two key questions in relation to a global challenge of the students’ choice:

1. What are some examples of scholars, communities and/or practitioners using different knowledges (Indigenous and otherwise) well? a. What are the conditions under which such weaving of knowledges takes place? b. What relationships between communities is built? c. What questions arise and in what context?

2. What are the various ways that knowledges can be combined? And what can we learn from these insights? a. Is there more than one way to weave knowledges? b. If so, what determines how weaving takes place? c. What insights for knowledge and knowledge-making? d. What insights for how we resolve contemporary global challenges? By exploring how diverse knowledges are being celebrated and combined in practice and in a range of settings, students will come to understand how new worlds are being constructed through these interactions. They will better understand how diverse knowledges are navigated within and by communities and what we could learn from them.

Role

Summer scholars will meet with the supervisor(s) each week to wananga/talanoa about the topics. The students will also keep a journal detailing: 1. The 3 cases of weaving knowledges that they find. 2. The insights that the cases generate for knowledge-making itself. 3. The insights that the cases generate for the global challenge that they have chosen to explore. Each week they will share parts of their journal with other students and supervisors. The journal will form the basis of the final written report for the project.

Required Skills

An interest in diverse knowledges and how they can be woven together to solve contemporary challenges; Interest in and experience working with Indigenous knowledge would be an advantage.

Benefits to Scholar

Students will gain experience exploring Māori, Pacific, or other Indigenous knowledge, their intersections with other knowledges (such as, for instance, but not limited to Science), and gain experience applying these interactions and insights to a contemporary challenge of their choosing; Students will have the opportunity to engage with resources within their own communities and will be able to show how these resources help to reimagine contemporary debates around diverse knowledges (such as, though not limited to, the debate around Mātauranga and Science); Students will also benefit from being involved in determining the precise shape of the project and to thereby gain experience crafting and independently undertaking a research project that is meaningful to them; Students will also benefit from weekly wananga/talanoa with supervisor(s) and will be part of a community of scholars; Students will be able to demonstrate leadership in research with outputs of their own as well as contribute to a final report and/or article co-authored by the team; The experience will be invaluable for providing students with insights into, and gaining tools for undertaking and managing, graduate research.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This transdisciplinary project empowers and supports Māori and Pacific students by enabling them to inform university teaching and develop key skills for graduate research (education and student experience priorities 1, 3); Understanding and enabling Māori and Pacific students to explore their own concepts and ideas is vital to rectifying the exclusion of Māori and wider Pacific philosophies in the discipline of Philosophy and critical for developing appropriate transdisciplinary research and teaching reflective of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific (research and innovation priorities 1, 2); By encouraging and enabling students to engage with concepts and ideas from their own communities, this project also provides one way of deepening links with Māori and Pacific communities (partnerships and engagement priorities 1, 3) and reconnecting our research and teaching to the cultural and philosophical diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider Pacific (people and culture priority 4).

Project

Ninety-six per cent of firefighters in the US identify as men, and 82% identify as white. This statistic is widely mirrored across the globe (including in Aotearoa) in both professionalized and volunteer fire service organizations. In an industry with a long history of "machismo," finding workable solutions to building sustainable systems around equity is a challenging process. It is particularly relevant in the face of climate change as fire suppression and fire service organizations themselves face massive new challenges in the substantial increase in wildland fires both in and outside of urban areas and in many cases, are looking to grow substantially to face climate challenges. In 2023 I worked closely with a summer scholar to lay the foundation for a process of community-leadership-driven co-research with the Portland Metro Women’s Fire Camp (PMWFC), an industry leader in driving equity change, as a way to understand grassroots change around gender equity within fire services. We worked directly with community leaders seeking to create equity in the fire service by developing a survey and the foundational steps for an ethnography with Portland Metro Women’s Fire Camp and began conversations with the Tualatin Valley Women’s Fire Camp. The 2024 Summer Scholar on this project will help build on those two phases of research.

Role

The Scholar's work is divided into two main parts: For the first five weeks of the scholarship, the scholar work with me (C. Vandewiele) to analyse any data collected in an online survey launching in August 2024 and running to the end of September 2024. For the second five weeks of the scholarship, using this preliminary online survey dataset, the scholar will help develop an interview protocol appropriate for carrying out interviews with mid-career alumna of the Portland and Tualatin women’s metro fire camps. The scholar will be given opportunities to engage in direct data interpretation as well as research design driven by community leaders and a chance to understand and engage with the UoA research ethics process.

Required Skills

The Scholar should have strong critical thinking, reading, and writing skills and some experience in creating a near-graduate level literature review would be helpful. The Scholar will be expected to work independently and to engage critically in the co-creation of a research proposal so it is hoped that the scholar is passionate about gender equity and interested in learning more about cooperative and community-driven anthropology.

Benefits to Scholar

The scholar will hone their research skills in critical thinking, writing, and literature engagement and be able to demonstrate in future applications their proficiency in moving a research project beyond the literature review or preliminary data set stages. Additionally, with close mentorship from Dr Vandewiele, the scholar will gain hands-on experience in the second stage of creating community-led anthropological research grounded in the needs and actions of community leaders. The scholar will get to directly learn how community members working with preliminary data can inform future research design and would be ideal for a student seeking to draw on academic resources to better understand the impact of their own actions and to use research to drive change. This project would be especially of interest to students interested in beginning a research-focused graduate degree in the near future.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project aligns with Tuamata Teitei through: Research Priority 3: Relevant, purposeful, and impactful research for our communities by directly learning from an emerging industry-standard equity process outside of Aotearoa and producing research distilling relevant practices and standards that can inform those seeking to create similar change through mentorship within the fire services in Aotearoa. Research Priority 6: A research ecosystem characterized by collaboration, agility, simplicity, engagement and empowerment: by modeling community-driven and co-led anthropological practices in research on a Global Stage, highlighting exciting and innovative ways of using anthropology to better understand social change from within.  

Project

The experiences of women have been frequently overlooked in the homelessness literature which has focused on men experiencing street homelessness (Fraser et al. 2021). Women are more likely to experience hidden homelessness, staying with family and friends in overcrowded and inadequate accommodation, and ensuring they are less likely to show up in homelessness counts (Johnson et al. 2017). The causes of homelessness amongst women are thought to differ from those of men and relate to gender inequalities, pay disparities and experiences of domestic violence and other forms of trauma (Johnson et al. 2017). In Aotearoa, women experiencing homelessness are more likely to be young, Māori, and parents, with lower incomes and higher rates of welfare benefit receipt (Fraser et al. 2021). Māori women and those from ethnic minorities face substantial racism and discrimination in the housing market (Fraser et al. 2021; Shama 2022). Working alongside Housing First Auckland, this research aims to provide a comprehensive review of the contributing factors to homelessness amongst women in Aotearoa. It will also explore national and international examples of best practice which demonstrate how to prevent women from becoming homeless. The research will specifically focus on wāhine Māori, Pacific women, older women and those with children.

Role

The Summer Scholar is expected to conduct a comprehensive review of the research relating to the causes of homelessness amongst women, drawing on both New Zealand and international literature, and focusing on wāhine Māori, Pacific women, older women and those with children. They will then explore national and international case studies of best practice that work successfully to prevent women becoming homeless and will make policy suggestions and recommendations to enable Housing First Auckland and other support agencies to develop mana enhancing approaches to homelessness prevention. The student researcher will be expected to write a 5,000 word research report which incorporates the literature and policy review with a discussion of policies/measures that could prevent homelessness amongst women. They will also undertake a number of dissemination activities, including a short article for Newsroom/The Conversation, and a presentation at a Housing First Community of Practice webinar.

Required Skills

The ideal candidate will have some knowledge and interest in housing and gender issues, and will have a background in Social Sciences, Social Work or Law. They will have good research and communication skills and will be able to review relevant literature and policy documentation and write a research report encompassing their findings. They will also have excellent interpersonal skills and some knowledge of the application of different social research methods.

Benefits to Scholar

This project will have a number of academic, intellectual and practical benefits for the Summer Scholar. This is an ideal project for a student with an interest in housing, gender or broader social justice issues, who seeks to undertake further research in this area, as it will enable them to develop comprehensive, in-depth knowledge of a topic of substantial social science interest. Under the guidance of the supervisor, they will develop research and writing skills through the compilation of a literature and policy review. The Summer Scholar will present the research findings to a Housing First Auckland Community of Practice webinar, thus developing their oral communication skills, and may be asked to take part in Housing First Auckland training events. They will also be included as an author in any resulting publications.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project is aligned with Taumata Teitei and the Faculty priorities and values as it engages with local communities through a research partnership with Housing First Auckland. In examining the contributing factors to homelessness amongst women and possible solutions, the research has the potential to assist Housing First Auckland in realising their aspirations and in improving the health and wellbeing of local communities.

Project

The proposed project focuses on the social media participation of New Zealand K-pop fans in online fan activities, organised primarily by Korea-based fan clubs and management companies. The aim is to explore how NZ K-pop fans perceive the similarities and differences between fandom cultures in New Zealand and Korea, and to examine whether this expanded awareness fosters a deeper understanding of cultural similarities and differences between the two countries. This summer research marks the initial phase, where the objective is to identify and engage with the diverse online fan activities of New Zealand K-pop fans. This foundational work will set the research for the next phase, which will involve conducting surveys and interviews to gather more detailed insights. By examining these online fan activities, the project seeks to contribute to the broader discourse on the relationship between transcultural understanding and the impact of global fan cultures.

Role

The summer scholar will be integral to the initial phase of this research project, focusing on the social media activities of NZ K-pop fans. The primary task will involve identifying and cataloguing the online platforms most frequently used by these fans. This includes major social media sites, fan forums, and other digital communities where K-pop content is actively shared and discussed. In addition to platform identification, the scholar will compile detailed information about each platform. This will involve finding basic information about the organizers and managers of these platforms, collecting numerical data about the levels of online traffic, and identifying the predominant themes and topics discussed. They will also help me to evaluate the national, linguistic, and ethnic origins of the main participants, considering how these factors influence the dynamics of interaction and the levels of transcultural communication between NZ K-pop fans and fans from other parts of the world. Lastly, the summer scholar will be responsible for compiling relevant references on K-pop industry, K-pop fandom, digital platforms and online fan activities from the University library and database, creating a comprehensive list of references for the research, and annotating key references and downloading the necessary files where possible.

Required Skills

The applicant(s) should be fluent in English and confident in reading Korean, enabling them to navigate and analyse content on various social media platforms effectively. Additionally, they must be punctual and possess strong analytical skills to ensure meticulous data collection and insightful analysis throughout the research. The scholar should also have primary research skills to build a comprehensive list of references for the research in the future.

Benefits to Scholar

The summer scholar will gain invaluable hands-on research experience, enhancing their academic skills and preparing them for postgraduate studies. They will develop proficiency in data collection and analysis by working closely with primary data from social media platforms frequented by NZ K-pop fans. This involves learning to navigate and evaluate digital content effectively, as well as improving their language skills, particularly in reading Korean, which is essential for transcultural research. I will provide continuous mentorship, offering guidance and feedback throughout the project. The scholar will have weekly check-ins, either online or in person, to discuss progress, address challenges, and refine their research techniques. Through this project, the scholar will build a strong foundation in cultural and media studies in interdisciplinary relation to Korean studies, encouraging them to pursue postgraduate studies where they can further develop their expertise and contribute to academic discourse.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project aligns with the University of Auckland's Taumata Teitei, which emphasizes excellence, sustainability, fairness, and positive impact. By investigating the social media participation of young NZ K-pop fans, the project contributes to the understanding of transcultural interactions and supports the University's commitment to global engagement and intergenerational equity. The principles of Manaakitanga (care and hospitality), Whanaungatanga (relationships), and Kaitiakitanga (guardianship) are central to this research, as it aims to foster cross-cultural understanding and respect among diverse communities and to exercise these principles through the mentorship integral to the summer scholarship program.

Project

Parliamentary Diplomacy is increasingly understood to be an important tool in international politics, complementing the traditional diplomacy practised by Ministers of Foreign Affairs (Jančić et al 2021). Parliamentary delegations, friendship groups and networks provide opportunities for elected representatives to engage in cross national cooperation, information exchange and policy sharing, on issues such as democracy in practice, human rights, and international trade agreements (Council of Europe, 2010). One example of a venue for parliamentary democracy is the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Network. Established in 1989, seeks to build the capacity of women elected officials to be more effective in their roles, and in their efforts to bring a gender perspective into all aspects of their work (Astwood, 2019). This includes debates, committee deliberations, electorate and issue representation, and issue advocacy and policy transfer (Dibateza, 2023). Building on the work of Celis, Childs and Curtin (2016), this project will examine the history and activities of the Aotearoa New Zealand group of the CWP and explore its potential for furthering collaborations and connections with countries in the Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Role

The scholar will work with Professor Jennifer Curtin and Dr Igiebor to undertake the following: Collate and synthesise the academic scholarship on parliamentary diplomacy, with specific attention to gender equality and women’s participation; Search for and summarise relevant second order literature on the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Network, the activities of its international branches, and the agendas that have been pursued over time; Collect primary research resources on the New Zealand CWP network that are available online through the parliamentary and national libraries; Co-author with project supervisors a background brief that brings together the findings from the above materials.

Required Skills

The scholar should demonstrate the following: A broad knowledge of international and Commonwealth politics and parliamentary practices; Have a demonstrated interest in New Zealand politics, public policy, and gender analysis; Have excellent research, writing, analytical and communication skills; A capacity to work independently and as part of a team and be willing to learn new skills in the presentation, translation and dissemination of data and arguments.

Benefits to Scholar

The scholar will gain skills through involvement in all stages of the research process, from data gathering to knowledge mobilisation. In particular, the scholar will gain the following benefits: Become familiar with a range of different primary source materials relating to public policy. Gain additional skills in critical analysis and the writing of literature reviews; Learn to build electronic libraries/bibliographies and databases using relevant software including RefWorks and Excel; Learn to write for scholarly and other audiences on topics related to politics and public policy; Gain knowledge of knowledge translation and writing for impact; In addition, the research experience will add value to the student’s CV and will improve their career opportunities and confidence about undertaking postgraduate studies; As supervisors we will provide the summer scholar with a half day induction, encourage engagement with the Faculty of Arts programme of support, organise fortnightly workshops on the research process led by staff in the Public Policy Institute and participate in regular in person and online meetings. We will bring together summer scholars hosted by the PPI as well as other PPI research students and assistants, to build peer learning and alleviate isolation. Our workshop sessions will include topics such as literature reviews, building data sets, writing for multiple audiences, knowledge mobilisation through media, and data visualisation techniques. In combination, these activities will provide space for social interaction and the sharing of ideas and challenges.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

Our project engages with the University’s strategic commitment to build deep connections with policy communities and researchers nationally and internationally. More specifically, this project will enable us to kick-start collaboration with the relaunched Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London (led by Auckland Arts-Law Alumnus Prof Kingsley Abbott, and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at Kings College London (home to two professional colleagues who work on gender and parliamentary democracy. In addition to this international focus, our project will address the place based dimensions of the CWP and the historical connections between the inherited practices of the Commonwealth’s Westminster model and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including the role of Māori women in advancing the representation of Māori and women historically and through the contemporary CWP group.

Project

International Organisations such as UN Women, Oxfam, and the OECD, as well as women’s organisations within Africa, have long argued that without adequate public investment in the care economy, sustainable development will remain out of reach. Care work is essential to the resilience of communities and inclusive growth at both local and national level. However, many governments, in and beyond Africa, lack the infrastructure, data, and political desire to design and deliver increased investment in the care economy. This project will draw on academic scholarship, government and non-government policy reports, and other sources to identify what evidence and data is currently available to inform care work policy innovation in Africa. In doing so, we will apply the UN Women’s Tool Kit on paid and unpaid care work (2022) and explore the extent to which it can be translated into culturally and economically approaches that will sustain the care contributions of women and girls in Africa.

Role

The scholar will work with Professor Jennifer Curtin and Dr Kemi Igiebor to undertake the following: Search for and summarise relevant second order literature on the care economy in Africa; Map the sources of data on care work across the different regions of Africa, to identify useful models and gaps in data collection, analysis, and application to policy; Summarise the UN Tool Kit and other similar action-based manuals designed to support the advocacy and development of public investment programmes that seek to value and reward sustainable care work; Co-author with project supervisors a background brief that brings together the findings from the above material in both text and infographic formats.

Required Skills

The scholar should demonstrate the following: A broad knowledge of public policy and gender analysis and a demonstrated interest in international politics, international organisations, and Africa; Have excellent research, writing, analytical and communication skills; A capacity to work independently and as part of a team and be willing to learn new skills in the presentation, translation and dissemination of data and arguments.

Benefits to Scholar

The scholar will gain skills through involvement in all stages of the research process, from data gathering to knowledge mobilisation. In particular, the scholar will gain the following benefits: Become familiar with a range of different primary source materials relating to public policy; Gain additional skills in critical analysis and the writing of literature reviews; Learn to build electronic libraries/bibliographies and databases using relevant software including RefWorks and Excel; Learn to write for scholarly and other audiences on topics related to public policy; Gain knowledge of knowledge translation and data visualisation; In addition, the research experience will add value to the student’s CV and will improve their career opportunities and confidence about undertaking postgraduate studies; As supervisors we will provide the summer scholar with a half day induction, encourage engagement with the Faculty of Arts programme of support, organise fortnightly workshops on the research process led by staff in the Public Policy Institute and participate in regular in person and online meetings. We will bring together summer scholars hosted by the PPI as well as other PPI research students and assistants, to build peer learning and alleviate isolation. Our workshop sessions will include topics such as literature reviews, building data sets, writing for multiple audiences, knowledge mobilisation through media, and data visualisation techniques. In combination, these activities will provide space for social interaction and the sharing of ideas and challenges.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

Our project engages with the University’s strategic commitment to build deep connections with policy communities and researchers regionally and globally, through policy learning and knowledge building on initiatives that support sustainable development, gender equality, and economic and social wellbeing. In this sense, our project cuts across several of the objectives of Taumata Teitei and supports the PPI’s commitment to advancing positive and material impact. Our project will also consolidate our fledgling working relationship with UN Women, the Committee of Status Women and the ILOs work in this space. It will also strengthen our existing relationships with the OECD and MFAT posts in Africa.

Project

International organisations like the United Nations, the OECD, the ILO, and the Asia Development Bank, recognise that care work, both paid and unpaid, contributes significantly to the current and intergenerational health and wellbeing of families, communities, cultures, and economies. However, without sufficient time-use studies, and other types of data that capture intra-family divisions of labour, many countries lack the ‘evidence’ required to support new approaches to valuing care work. Recognition and investment in care work, and the social infrastructure that sustains it, remain critical missing elements in public policy and in discussions of growth and GDP. Drawing on the work of Professor Marilyn Waring, feminist economists and gender policy experts, this project will trace developments and data collection initiatives from across the Pacific and Asia through a review of academic scholarship, international and domestic policy reports, and government and non-government datasets. The review will contribute to a broader comparative project that seeks to illuminate how care work is, and can be, recognised and resourced in ways that that are culturally, economically, environmentally sustainable.

Role

The scholar will work with Professor Jennifer Curtin and Drs Kolandai and Igiebor to undertake the following: Search for and summarise relevant second order literature on the care economy generally, and specifically with respect to economies in the Pacific and ASEAN regions; Map the primary sources of data and statistics on care work across individual Pacific Island states and ASEAN economies, and identify useful models of, and gaps in, data collection, analysis, and application to policy in practice; Identify existing and potential policy programmes that can be adopted to advance additional investment in the care economy; Co-author with project supervisors a background brief that brings together the findings from the above material in both text and infographic formats.

Required Skills

The scholar should demonstrate the following: A broad knowledge of public policy, gender and economics and inclusive data and descriptive statistics, and a demonstrated interest in international politics, international organisations, and the Pacific Islands and ASEAN regions; Have excellent research, writing, analytical and communication skills; A capacity to work independently and as part of a team and be willing to learn new skills in the presentation, translation and dissemination of data and arguments.

Benefits to Scholar

The scholar will gain skills through involvement in all stages of the research process, from data gathering to knowledge mobilisation. In particular, the scholar will gain the following benefits: Become familiar with a range of different primary source materials relating to public policy; Gain additional skills in critical analysis and the writing of literature reviews; Learn to build electronic libraries/bibliographies and databases using relevant software including RefWorks and Excel; Learn to write for scholarly and other audiences on topics related to public policy; Gain knowledge of knowledge translation and data visualisation; In addition, the research experience will add value to the student’s CV and will improve their career opportunities and confidence about undertaking postgraduate studies; As supervisors we will provide the summer scholar with a half day induction, encourage engagement with the Faculty of Arts programme of support, organise fortnightly workshops on the research process led by staff in the Public Policy Institute and participate in regular in person and online meetings. We will bring together summer scholars hosted by the PPI as well as other PPI research students and assistants, to build peer learning and alleviate isolation. Our workshop sessions will include topics such as literature reviews, building data sets, writing for multiple audiences, knowledge mobilisation through media, and data visualisation techniques. In combination, these activities will provide space for social interaction and the sharing of ideas and challenges.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

Our project engages with the University’s strategic commitment to build deep connections with policy communities and researchers in the Pacific and more broadly, through policy learning and knowledge building on initiatives that support sustainable development, gender equality, and economic and social wellbeing. In this sense, our project cuts across several of the objectives of Taumata Teitei and supports the PPI’s commitment to advancing positive and material impact. Our project will consolidate our fledgling relationship with UN Women, the Committee of Status Women and the ILOs work in this space. It will also strengthen our existing relationships with the OECD and the Public Service Commission whose Fale model engages with Fonofale to support Commissioners to deliver quality and impactful services to communities.

Project

This project is a biographical study of Horaine Whakamairu, 1852-1890 (Rangitane/Ngati Kahungunu/Wairarapa Ngāi Tahu), whom I first encountered in the journals of Ira N. Hinckley, a Mormon missionary to the Wairarapa in 1883-84 who fell in love with Horiana when he was trying to convert her family. The project is also a cultural history of the world of affluent 19th century wāhine Māori in the Wairarapa who navigated between languages and cultures, maintaining close ties to both Pākehā elites and Māori communities. Several living descendants of the Whakamairu family have generously shared information on their whakapapa with me; however, Horiana died young with no direct descendants, and the family knows little about her. I am, therefore, building up a collage from the few printed traces of her that remain, as well as from legal records of cases involving her family, stories in 19th C Wairarapa newspapers, and records of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My goal is to assemble enough material for a journal article that should be of interest to scholars of NZ history, gender studies, and Māori history and culture, along with a dossier for Horiana’s whānau.

Role

Because of a head injury I sustained last year, it’s very difficult for me to read on screens. So the first, and principal, task for a Summer Scholar will be to go through all the digitised editions of the Wairarapa Daily Times and the Wairarapa Standard published during Horiana’s lifetime, looking specifically for items about the Whakamairu family but also at advertisements, wedding and funeral notices, and news items that will help enlarge my picture of the daily life and customs of Horiana’s social circle. Should the student researcher happen to read te reo, then an examination of the national Māori papers would also be useful. The Summer Scholar will help me compile a database of advertisements, news reports, and related material. If this work does not use up all the Scholar’s time, then I would like assistance reading through genealogical records from the LDS, which are held at the Family Research Centre and Family History Centres in Auckland, to fill out the Whakamairu family tree. Finally, a student researcher could help me track down details about the only surviving photograph of Horiana, an undated formal studio portrait in which she is wearing European evening dress. If possible I want to learn where the picture was taken, where the dress was made, and what the occasion was for the portrait, to give me a better sense of the social opportunities and fashion choices available to a Māori woman of her class.

Required Skills

The Summer Scholar should be adept at evaluating sources of information, as s/he will need to learn over time how to judge when a newspaper item will be useful. While we will begin with more frequent checking in and explicit direction, the longer the Scholar works on the project, the more independent thinking I’ll look for. Building family trees requires intuition and curiosity, as well as logic—e.g. realising an individual might have several different names, or that different individuals might have the same name but different dates. The Scholar should be detail-oriented, well-organised, and able to keep clear records (preferably in Word/Excel) of findings. Prioritising tasks and managing time effectively will be important. A reading knowledge of te reo would be a tremendous bonus, but it’s not a requirement. It is crucial, however, that the Summer Scholar recognise the importance of treating Māori taonga with respect, e.g. not copying photographs without explicit permission; s/he should also keep in mind that our first obligation in researching this history, and the first audience for our work, is the living family members who have given me permission to study their tūpuna.

Benefits to Scholar

This is an opportunity for a student to learn how to do archival work: the types of searches that are useful, the types of questions one has to ask, and how to develop a discerning eye for pertinent information. The Scholar will also develop skills in doing both cultural history and discourse analysis. The Scholar should learn good note-taking and note-organizing techniques, as we will discuss and practise these. Finally, and importantly, the Scholar will gain experience thinking about and applying ethical research methods, especially in relation to Indigenous knowledges and research that has direct relevance to living people. These are skills, dispositions, and practices that are required to do post-graduate work successfully in several different fields, including history, literature, and cultural studies; the Scholarship will, therefore, enable a student to practice these skills under supervision before moving onto independent postgraduate work.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

In doing this work I am developing for myself, my Summer Scholar and hopefully for others a model of how to do interdisciplinary research that observes the principles of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga—mindful of both my own position as a white American doing research about Indigenous New Zealanders, and the needs and interests of the community I am researching on and with. My questions have been shaped by my discussions with our Kaiārahi Hirini Kaa and Leanne Tamaki as well as with Horiana’s family members; I have also made commitments to the family about sharing information with them and their marae. With these considerations in mind, my goal is to produce a cultural history that will illuminate the life of the kind of woman who—even when privileged—often disappears from standard historical records, and in doing so to contribute to understanding one facet of Māori life in the 19th century.

Project

Two students

The Anthropology Collection at the University is substantial, with an estimated 500,000 objects/taonga from Aotearoa, the Pacific, and other parts of the world. Since the late 20th century, archaeological practice has changed, as has the legislation that protects heritage to the management of archaeological materials. This had prompted a shift in the collection and management of taonga. To date little is known about the Anthropology Collection which this project plans to begin addressing. The goal is for the documenting and better understanding our collection, through which we aim to create new research pathways which allow for an intersection of deep past (taonga), near past (researchers and the communities from which objects were collected) and contemporary students and scholars, iwi and hapū. The platform created by these taonga and their history presents a unique moment to intentionally reshape the ways in which we engage in research with the taonga in our care. These summer scholarships are part of a wider project to connect communities with their taonga, and draw on best practice in museums, with an aim to lead the way in the management of taonga in university contexts. This summer project represents the first phase of the project which will focus on collections from Aotearoa. The "Anthropology Collection" summer scholarship brings two students into the process of understanding and engaging with these taonga. 

Role

Given the size of the collection and scale of the wider project, two summer scholars will work on taonga and archaeological materials from two different sites. Their summer will look like: 1. Scholar 1: Build a literature review on existing research or institutions engaged in this type of work. A particular focus will be on identifying university-based collections. 2. Scholar 2: Compile all existing records relating to the Anthropology collection. This will also include descriptions of the existing storage spaces and their capacity. 3. Together: a. Write short histories of selected excavations, who was involved, dates, and any relevant literature published (including grey literature). This will help determine the legal status of the objects. b. Conduct a check of the archaeological materials associated with the site. This will include carefully documenting a randomized set of taonga and archaeological materials in their stored space (including state of preservation and detail of labelling) and conducting further library and digital resource research around those objects. The students will also work on developing labelling of materials and taonga and trialling data entry and data management software. The students will also get an opportunity to visit Auckland Museum and see examples of collection management and care.

Required Skills

The scholars must be self-motivated, highly organised, and be able to work independently in labs and collection spaces. The student would benefit from being familiar with: archaeology, anthropology, history, or art history as a field of study; Anthropological theories as a grounding for research; Have an interest in working in museum or object-centred research spaces; Preferably some knowledge of te reo me ona tikanga (or show a willingness to engage with).

Benefits to Scholar

The Scholars will: Learn about how to write a literature review as the foundation to a new research project; Receive training on and experience with reference management software; Receive training on and experience with identifying useful academic and non-academic sources for a new research project; Receive lab induction and guidance around tikanga for handling taonga; Gain direct taonga handling skills and develop an understanding of the value of collections based research; Be mentored by Māori academic staff. This project is an excellent opportunity for an undergraduate or honours student to be involved in the foundational stages of a research project. For a student considering masters or PhD level work, this is an opportunity to get a window into producing collections-based research in a familiar context and to understand the value that place-based work has in Aotearoa. The student will finish the project with a skillset that could be readily applied to their own future work, should they choose to pursue a research degree. This summer scholarship is unique in that it may provide the scholar with an opportunity to work directly in an object-centred research space mentored by Māori academics.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project directly relates to the University’s present role as kaitiaki for the anthropological collections from a range of locations, including Aotearoa, and the need to improve our practices. Compiling collection histories allow us to ultimately connect communities with their taonga, strengthening the relationship between the University of Auckland with those communities (Priorities 3.1, 3.3). This project, as with all summer scholarship opportunities, provides research-led, experiential learning experience (Priority 1.3)

Project

For the past few years I have been working away on a monograph commissioned by Edinburgh UP entitled Paradigm Shift: Ancient History and the War on Terror. The book examines how 9/11, the global ‘War on Terror’, and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan left their mark on how we understand the ancient world. The project focuses on how the shadows of the War on Terror can be seen in depictions of the ancient world in pop culture, namely films and television shows from 2002 until the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Suddenly during this period we find film and TV shows set in Antiquity which depict terrorism, religious extremism, unconventional warfare, and which graft the ethnic and political conventions of the War on Terror directly on to the ancient world – hence the Persian king Darius in Oliver Stone’s film Alexander inexplicably speaks Arabic. The project will involve the summer scholar critically watching and taking notes on a list of films and television series provided, with an eye to seeing how the politics, ethnicity, society, warfare, and religion of the period 2002-2016 appear in elements of pop culture set in the Ancient World.

Role

As part of the work on this project an exhaustive list of films and television series relating to Antiquity produced between 2002-2016 has been compiled, but I have not yet been able to screen all of them and take careful notes on how the themes mentioned above appear in them. The summer scholar will choose a number of films and TV series from this list and carefully take notes while watching them on how elements of the post-9/11 world are depicted in Antiquity. They will take timestamps and make note of key scenes and details and keep screencaps if possible. They will also do some background research on the production of the film or TV series and how it was received by critics and audiences. We will begin by going over the work done on the project so far and review my previous publications on Antiquity in the post 9/11 world. After selecting some films and TV series to begin with, the summer scholar will then watch away whole meeting up with me regularly.

Required Skills

Familiarity with Ancient History and the Ancient World; An interest in the reception of the ancient world in popular culture; An interest in film and media studies, and ideally experience watching these films and playing these video games; The ability to take detailed critical notes on a given piece of popular culture.

Benefits to Scholar

This project will help those interested in PG study by providing them with hands-on experience on a cutting-edge project relating to the reception of the ancient world by contemporary audiences. It will provide them with experience as a research associate on a project that will be of equal interest to ancient historians as to film and media studies more generally.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project aims to provide a critical understanding of how the ancient world has responded to the trends and currents of contemporary politics, often in a very problematic way. It aims to break apart the ethnic stereotypes and cultural associations of east versus west both in the ancient world and in modern society, and promotes a more nuanced understanding of the ancient world and the War on Terror alike. This will be a leading piece of interdisciplinary research addressed to multiple audiences from around the world.

Project

Two students

The purpose of this project is to collect and analyse media coverage of, and political communication by, then-incumbent Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and then-Leader of the Opposition Christopher Luxon during the 2023 New Zealand General Election campaign. The project will analyse media coverage of the two leaders, including coverage of the issues they campaigned on as well as the candidates’ leadership and personal qualities. The project will also examine the political communication of the two leaders across paid and earned media. This will include analysing the issues they focused on and how they framed those issues. It will also examine how they framed their own and their opponent’s leadership and personal qualities. This research will contribute directly towards 1-3 journal articles, which are part of a larger research plan around political communication in Aotearoa New Zealand. Note: The project could accommodate two summer scholars, one focusing on media coverage and one focusing on the communication by the two leaders, as there is substantial material that can be collected and analysed and peer work will maximise motivation and learning. 

Role

The main goal is to collect and analyse a range of primary sources related to the case studies involved. This will be broken down into different research activities. For example: 1. Review and comprehend relevant political media, political communication, and political leadership theories. 2. Identify and collect primary sources related to media coverage of, and political communication by, Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon from 1 September 2023 (the day after the 53rd Parliament adjured) to 13 October 2023 (Election Day-eve). a. Legacy media: Television news segments, print and online articles. b. Paid media engagement: Television advertising, sponsored social media posts. c. Earned social media engagement: Facebook, Instagram, X, and Tiktok. 3. Analyse these sources against the theory and write up analysis in summary form. a. The specifics of the analysis will depend in part on the outcome of an initial project currently undertaken by the supervisors focusing specifically on televised election debates. However, it will likely be based on a range of variables, such as comparing: Segment and column length; Soundbite length; Tone; Issue/policy framing; Leadership/personality framing; Substance and scandal; Incumbency/challenger as well as ideological positioning.

Required Skills

Ability to learn new cross-disciplinary concepts quickly; Research skills to identify a wide range of sources on the case study - Preferable: Basic knowledge of how to use SPSS computer software (and/or R); High analytical ability to be able to process and synthesise a wide range of material quickly; Able to work independently and produce written work on time; Strong initiative, but also responsive to supervision and advice; Familiarity with politics in Aotearoa New Zealand - Preferable: Awareness and understanding of political media and political communication. E.g., completed or in the process of completing POLITICS 233 and/or POLITICS 345;

Preferable: Familiarity with the following texts. Although likely part of prep during the early stages of the scholarship: Boyd, Mark (2021). “A Tale of Two Campaigns: Covid vs Chaos: Mainstream Media Coverage of the Lead-up to Election 2020”. Chapter in Stephen Levine (ed.), Politics in a Pandemic: New Zealand's 2020 Election. Te Herenga Waka University Press, pp. 156-169; Boyd, Mark and Maria Armoudian (2020). “New Zealand Election Debates: Combat and Commercialism”. Chapter in Julio Juárez-Gámiz, Christina Holtz-Bacha, Alan Schroeder (eds), Routledge International Handbook on Electoral Debates. Routledge, pp. 267-276;Elder, Edward (2021). “Media and Elections”. Chapter in Janine Hayward, Lara Greaves and Claire Timperley (eds) Government and Politics in Aotearoa New Zealand (7th ed.). Oxford University Press, pp. 241-250; Elder, Edward, Jennifer Lees-Marshment and Neil Bendle (2022). “Marketing in a Crisis: The Political Marketing Mastery of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the COVID Election”. European Journal of Marketing, vol. 56(8), pp. 2340-2368; Elder, Edward and Julia Büdler (2021). “Communicating Market-Oriented Leadership During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Chapter in Edward Elder and Jennifer Lees-Marshment (eds.), Political Marketing and Management in the 2020 New Zealand General Election. Palgrave Studies in Political Marketing and Management, pp. 95-108.

Benefits to Scholar

Participating in this research would provide the scholar(s) with the opportunity to develop and refine skills in data collation (locating and archiving relevant case study material) as well as quantitative (and potentially qualitative) analysis using specialised software such as SPSS (and potentially NVivo). This would allow the scholar(s) to gain experience identifying positive and negative as well as strategically effective and ineffective trends in media coverage and political communication both in traditional media and new media. Not only would this help the scholar(s) gain or further develop valuable skills and case study knowledge that could be used in further post-graduate research, but it would also help them develop and/or refine employability skills around identifying issues through larger scale evaluation as well as communication skills.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

The project speaks to the University’s commitment to “advancing just, cultured and engaged communities”, as outlined in Taumata Teitei. In particular, the concern for declining trust in democracy and lessening public confidence in governance structures. The importance of media coverage of politics as well as political communication in our democracy is evident, in part due to their role in influencing what issues the public focus on as well as how they assess those issues. This has an effect, either unintentionally (media coverage) or intentionally (political communication), on voter choice, voter turnout, and political engagement more broadly. Furthermore, given international trends towards explicit appeals to political and cultural grievance and polarisation, it is important to understand if and where Aotearoa New Zealand is on that same trajectory. Thus, this project aligns with Taumata Teitei Research and Innovation Priority 3: Relevant, purposeful, impactful research for our communities, as well as Priority 4: Ambitious research confronting humanity’s greatest challenges.

Project

Auckland is a superdiverse city. Its population by ethnic background currently comprises 11.5% Māori, 15% Pasifika, 28.2%, Asian (an increase of 15% since 2003) and 53.5% Pākehā. Meanwhile, 41.6 % of Aucklanders were born overseas (the fourth highest percentage internationally) with many in this group being bi/multilingual (Statistics New Zealand, nd). As a result, in addition to English and te reo Māori, over 160 languages are now spoken in Auckland, with over 50% of New Zealand’s bi/multilingual speakers living here (RSNZ, 2013). This ethnic and linguistic diversity is also clearly reflected among University of Auckland’s 46,000 students and 13,000 academic and professional staff. In 2022, approximately 47% of the University’s student body identify as Asian, 9% as Pasifika, and 7% as Māori. Given this context, this study examines the linguistic profile of the university’s staff and students, along with experiences of linguistic discrimination/exclusion on the one hand and linguistic affordances (if any) on the other hand, particularly for bi/multilingual staff and students. The research will encompass all bi/multilingual speakers across the university, including te reo Māori, Pasifika, Asian and other language speakers.

Role

The summer scholar will support this project by: (1) conducting a literature review and meta-analysis of scholarly studies; (2) compiling and analyzing survey data; and (3) transcribing interview data and conducting thematic analysis of the transcribed interview data. The scholar will be guided in all aspects of the work by the principal investigator.

Required Skills

This research project requires a highly motivated student who is interested in the issues of linguistic diversity and discrimination. The successful applicant will have: (1) the ability to communicate effectively in English; (2) strong writing and analysis skills; (3) strong work ethic and organizational skills, and (4) ability to work independently. Given the nature of the research, speaking more than one language and/or personal and professional experiences of linguistic and cultural diversity would be an advantage.

Benefits to Scholar

The summer scholar will acquire valuable experience by participating in a research project involving university students and staff members from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The scholar will be introduced to linguistic diversity and discrimination research of the kind expected of postgraduate students in the fields of Applied Linguistics and Education. In addition, the scholar will gain knowledge about the experiences and needs of the bi/multilingual community at the University of Auckland, and improve their skills in writing literature reviews, compiling and analyzing survey data, and conducting thematic analysis of interview data. The scholar will also learn to work independently and to manage a research project over time (10 weeks), while enjoying opportunities to work collaboratively with others.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

Taumata Teitei, the university’s strategic plan, recognizes the importance of its increasingly diverse workforce, both in terms of equity and wellbeing. It notes that “[w]e will be known as a place where diversity and dynamism of local and global communities are recognised, valued and improved through our education, research, engagement and in how we treat the world”. Despite our rapidly diversifying university community, the university does not directly address issues of linguistic diversity, or experiences of linguistic discrimination in its equity and wellbeing policies and practices. Indeed, to our knowledge, it does not even collect data on the linguistic diversity of its staff or students. The project aims to contribute in this regard via an examination of the linguistic profile of the university’s staff and students, along with experiences of linguistic discrimination/exclusion and linguistic affordances for bi/multilingual staff and students, including te reo Māori, Pasifika, Asian and other language speakers.

Project

Performing Tāmaki Makaurau is part of a wider national effort to update the Theatre Aotearoa database in order to open up new research opportunities and foster inter-institutional collaboration. Theatre Aotearoa is an archival database of New Zealand theatre productions that was established in 2004 by colleagues at the University of Otago. It provides a partial historical record of past productions. Due to factors including staff retirements, platform and security issues, this database is in the process of being migrated to AusStage, an Australian database managed by a committee of Australasian representatives and affiliated to ADSA, the peak regional organization.

AusStage is a world-leading performing arts database with functionality that allows data to be easily exported, visualized and analyzed. The recent project, Performing Sydney, derived from the AusStage database, demonstrates the research potential of harnessing this data. Theatre Aotearoa will retain its own (updated) front-facing site, but will be embedded in the AusStage backend, allowing users to take advantage of its cutting edge functionality. Performing Tāmaki Makaurau takes inspiration from Performing Sydney and seeks to consider holistically the growth and development of theatre practices in our city relative to factors such as demography, gender and policy. 

Role

There are two key phases to Performing Tāmaki Makaurau. The first is the gathering and inputting of data, and the second is the analysis and interpretation of that data. This Summer Scholar project will be mainly concerned with the first, although decisions around what data to gather will be determined by some key issues of interest related to the second. The first task will require surveying what already exists in the database, and identifying this in relationship to venues, companies and individuals. The functionality of the database will allow this aggregation of data. The student will be offered training at the beginning of the project on how to both upload information into the database, and how to extract it.

The second task, in consultation with the supervisor, will be identifying which venues, companies and events (festivals) for example, are to be targeted within the parameters of the time that the student has to work on the project. For example, it may be that 2-3 important venues or companies are targeted. Thirdly, the student will then undertake research to discover existing records of productions as well as identifying where there are gaps in easily accessible information.

This discovery process will involve consulting online sources, and existing published research, including print media, and scholarly research such as the Auckland theatre history project undertaken by a summer scholar last year under the supervision of Linda Bryder (who has been consulted in the preparation of this application). Identification of gaps in production knowledge will provide important information to the supervisor to aide in information gathering in the future.

Fourthly, the student will upload the records they have discovered into the Theatre Aotearoa database.

Required Skills

The student needs to be highly organized, and capable of keeping records of their work – ideally by way of a shared online spreadsheet; The student needs to have basic online searching skills and/or a willingness to attend a UoA library PG seminar in “Literature review: Finding Information.”; Technical confidence; Good attention to detail; Existing knowledge of Auckland theatre is helpful but not essential; An interest in the broad field of digital humanities.

Benefits to Scholar

I will work closely with the student to guide them through the four stages of the process. The student will develop their skills in research discovery, as well as enhancing their understanding of research as an iterative process. That is, as each stage of the research unfolds, it informs and potentially reshapes the other stages. For students with an interest in digital humanities, this will be an opportunity to explore the potential to work creatively with data to develop new avenues of scholarly research. Students will gain training in inputting information into databases, as well as extracting information. Students will also be introduced to free open access software that they can use in the interpretation of data, i.e., mapping, data visualization and network visualization. For students with a specific interest in theatre, the project may help activate possible projects.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

The proposed project aligns with the Taumata Teitei goal of “advancing just, cultured and engaged communities.” Whereas theatre research in New Zealand has typically focussed on specific artists and productions, a comprehensive open-access database will enable research avenues for both scholars and the wider community. The project will respond to the objective of “relevant, purposeful, impactful research for our communities” through gathering together information that can be accessed by a wide variety of groups. This will allow researchers, companies and practitioners to assess, for example, the representation of various communities on our stages relative to population demographics, the impact of arts festivals, gender representation within artistic leadership. AusStage is widely used beyond the academy, and therefore both the process of updating Theatre Aotearoa and the resultant database will offer significant opportunities for community engagement and partnerships, responding to the Faculty of Arts goal of “deeper engagement with communities outside academia.”

Project

Support for republicanism in Aotearoa-New Zealand has fluctuated over the past 30 years without ever reaching a clear majority. While arguments for and against a republic have been put forward by both sides of the debate, the reasons why members of the public either support a change or support the status quo have not been investigated. Understanding this is important to understand whether peoples’ fears and hopes regarding change – or maintaining the status quo – are grounded. This project will involve analysis of data from a 2023 survey that assessed both support for republicanism and the reasons for supporting or not supporting republicanism. The project will involve simple quantitative analysis of levels of support across population subgroups, as well as qualitative analysis of respondents’ verbatim responses to a question asking for the reasons why they support republicanism or support the status quo.

Role

The scholar will conduct a literature review on support for republicanism in Aotearoa-New Zealand. The scholar will then work with the supervisor to produce some basic statistics on levels for support for republicanism and for the status quo for the population as a whole, and for population subgroups defined by age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status. The scholar will also undertake thematic analysis of reasons for support for change or support for the status quo. The scholar will summarise the findings in a brief report.

Required Skills

The scholar should be familiar with qualitative analysis techniques, particularly thematic analysis, and have a willingness to undertake simple quantitative analyses. The scholar should be comfortable reading and summarising literature relating to republicanism in Aotearoa-New Zealand.

Benefits to Scholar

The scholar will gain experience in undertaking a literature review and conducting both qualitative and quantitative analyses. The scholar will also learn to write academic reports.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project meets Taumata Teitei priorities: ‘Education and Student Experience’ Priority 3: Education that is research informed, transdisciplinary, relevant and with impact for the world; ‘Research and Innovation” Priority 1: World-class research inspired by our place in Aotearoa and the Pacific; ‘Research and Innovation’ Priority 3: Relevant, purposeful, impactful research for our communities; and ‘Research and Innovation’ Priority 5: Nurture, recruit and retain outstanding research talent.

Project

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media rapidly became a major tool for communicating health information and connecting people to each other during a time of physical distancing (Tsao et al., 2021). The accentuation of this increasingly crucial role of social media in allowing individuals to engage with their own health in a community space has highlighted the need for research that engages with the increasing role of social media in health access, particularly in areas of health access that where community support and belonging play a significant role (Clark et al., 2018).

This summer scholarship allows a summer scholar to join an established research team seeking to better understand how individuals in Aotearoa use online social media spaces to access sexual and reproductive healthcare. The project explores how social connection, identity formation and anonymity inform healthcare access in intimate spaces, and the ways in which individuals assess and understand the veracity of the information they are engaging with. It presents a transdisciplinary opportunity for a scholar to work with academics across the health and social sciences.

Clark, J. L., Algoe, S. B., & Green, M. C. (2018). Social network sites and well-being: The role of social connection. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(1), 32-37.

Tsao, S.-F., Chen, H., Tisseverasinghe, T., Yang, Y., Li, L., & Butt, Z. A. (2021). What social media told us in the time of COVID-19: a scoping review. The Lancet Digital Health, 3(3), e175-e194.

Role

The summer scholar will be expected to work (under the supervision of Dr Bickerton) closely with the integrated research team as the project moves from its online survey stage to its interview stage. The scholar will be expected to contribute to (and be trained in) Qualtrics data analysis and results drafting using the survey dataset, which will close for collection in Dec. 2024. The scholar will be expected to contribute to the development of an interview guide for in-depth interviews to be carried out after the end of the scholarship in 2025, drawing directly from the results of the online survey. The scholar will have the opportunity (if they are interested in refining their own skills) to engage with the University of Auckland ethics amendment supporting those interview guides. The scholar will contribute to qualitative data preparation for publication, including the creation of a field-specific literature review for public policy and health. While the scholar will have the support of the research team, it is expected that the scholar will bring a personal interest in future research in the fields of health, social media or community access to the space.

Required Skills

Independent time management; Strong ability to engage in critical thinking; Graduate or near graduate level writing/drafting skills; Personal interest in pursuing future research work.

Benefits to Scholar

The scholar will have the opportunity to work directly on an active transdisciplinary research project. This provides the scholar with an opportunity to observe and engage in research methods from a minimum of three different fields, and to build relationships across faculties at the University of Auckland. The scholar will have the opportunity to observe or engage in research processes (drafting, ethics, interview guides) that could directly enhance their own ability to pursue independent graduate research in the next two years. The scholar will also gain experience in working with social media in the research space.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project aligns with Tuamata Teitei through: Research Priority 3: Relevant, purposeful and impactful research for our communities. Connects the Summer Scholar directly to transdisciplinary research actively seeking to better understand health access & health needs in Aotearoa today. Research Priority 6: A research ecosystem characterised by collaboration, agility, simplicity, engagement and empowerment: Demonstrates research as a tool for understanding community need and allows the scholar access to research skills development rooted in community engagement. This project aligns with the faculty values through: Strategic Goal 1, Objective 2 Arts Faculty Research Strategy: Developing the next generation of researchers. Includes the scholar in an active research team; Provides the scholar with direct skills that can aid them in their graduate Journey.

Project

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many Pacific communities' ability to partake in funerary rituals such as the Samoan falelauasiga. This was due to travel restrictions and local social distancing guidelines, many Pacific families were unable to collectively grieve with their wider family. Funeral directors and bereavement scholars have written about the mental wellbeing impacts the bereaved experienced, where cultural and societal rituals were absent, rushed or altered. The pandemic highlighted that there is a literature gap in relation to Pacific funerary rituals. This project focuses on documenting Pacific cultural, social and religious grief norms as well as mapping how changes to these practices have occurred over the last 100 years.

Role

The student would work alongside me to achieve components of this study. Firstly review literature on death, dying, grief and funerals, primarily from Native/Indigenous/Pacific studies, anthropology, history, population health and sociology with a focus on the key research question of the study. The second is helping to collect Pacific art (songs, poetry, videos, stories) on grief or death – this may also include producing visuals to share.

Required Skills

This project is well suited to students with a background in Native/Indigenous/Pacific studies, history or anthropology. Students with ties/commitments to Pacific communities are especially welcome. Strong communication skills (written, verbal) necessary. Ideal applicants should be independent, self-motivated, with demonstrated initiative and time management skills. They should be savvy digital media navigators, have attention to detail, and be open to research and technical training. Familiarity with online platforms and/or social media research a plus. The successful candidate will be offered a study desk at the Pacific Studies complex for the duration of the course.

Benefits to Scholar

This project is an opportunity for an emerging scholar to hone their analysis skills and learn about the many aspects of developing a research project in Pacific Studies that centres Pacific peoples’ voices. The scholar will have the chance to develop their analysis skills (critical thinking, basic database/online research skills, data analysis, and academic writing) by undertaking the literature review, which will also be an opportunity to co-author a publication. As an Early Career Researcher myself, I hope to support my scholar to grow their confidence through supporting dissemination activities for this project such as presenting at conferences and giving a talk at the Fale. The scholar will also benefit from being part of a small and supportive academic department where they can spend time getting to know staff and postgraduate students. This experience will provide an opportunity to network with postgraduate students and explore the potential of future study.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project focuses on pan-Pacific peoples experiences of death and grief which aligns with Taumata Teitei’s focus on deep engagement with diverse Aotearoa and Asia-Pacific communities. The project’s aims are also align with Research and Innovation, Priorities 3 and 4: Relevant, purposeful, impactful research for our communities and; Ambitious research confronting humanity’s greatest challenges. As this project will explore sensitive topics and provide a voice for communities and peoples when they are often at their most vulnerable, the project will ultimately align with the Faculty’s aspiration of kia whakamana i te tangata - to uphold the mana and tapu of others through our actions and relationships. This will be done by ensuring key values Manaakitanga, Tauhi Vā and Ako are embedded and practised both in relation to people and also in the stories and art that are collected.

Project

Fat bias is pervasive in healthcare and has life threatening implications for fat people, particularly for fat Māori who must navigate multiple systems of oppression. Fat bias and healthism often perpetuate ideas that fatness is a punishable moral failing that must result in ill-health and dis-ease. Anti-fat bias reinforces the importance of ensuring that individuals' (perceived) health status does not impede access to healthcare. Much like racism as a system of oppression, fat bias operates in these institutional ways by restricting access to wellness and healthcare opportunities inhibiting rights. In challenging fat bias, questions such as ‘What role do fat stigma and oppression play as a social determinant of health?’ are important in seeking equity. When compounded these systems of oppression result in fat Māori being restricted and denied access to healthcare (appointments, diagnostics, treatments, options), positive health experiences and having our mana (over our bodies) recognised. 

Role

The students work will involve a literature review/conceptual framework and threshold concepts development. The creation of an annotated bibliography is an option depending on the students interests in this area. This will help the student gain research skills such as literature searching, review, and synthesis, as well as critical reading reflection. Transcribing of interview data offers the student an insight into the ways in which data can be recorded and (co)created. This intends to set the students up for future research work by developing key research skills.

Required Skills

Understanding of basic te reo would be beneficial. This project supports Indigenous students and utilising Indigenous methodologies, therefore would suit Indigenous students.

Benefits to Scholar

This project seeks to prioritise Indigenous student research development, establishing a range of research related activities as opportunities for skill and relationship development. This project is a Kaupapa Māori research project that utilises and supports theoretical, methodological, and methodical creation, expansion, and generation. This will provide the student with the chance to step foot into Indigenous research and develop key relationships that seek to progress into postgraduate study. By forming a relationship with the supervisor, this research project seeks to prioritise the student’s interests and learnings by providing opportunities to explore different aspects of engaging in research. This mentorship will involve regular check-ins with the student, as well as collaborative work in order to provide the student with the skills, time, and commitment needed to succeed in research and seek to make meaningful change for Indigenous Peoples.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project is grounded in Kaupapa Māori, Mātauranga Māori, and Tikanga Māori. It seeks to re-prioritise Māori realities and address inequities experienced via multiple systems of oppression. It highlights the need and right for equitable access to health, wellbeing, and Hauora, as well as the value of innovative, generative, Māori knowledge and research systems. The (re)prioritisation of and expansion of Mātauranga Māori is a central component of this research project, utilising Māori theories, methodologies, and methods to expand our understandings, to (re)create (new) knowledge, and enhance Māori realities through meaningful change. Additionally, whakawhanaungatanga is at the core of this project, which highlights my commitment as a Kaupapa Māori researcher to nurturing research teina and celebrating relevant, purposeful, meaningful research that aligns with Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations that Waipapa Taumata Rau is committed to.

Project

Languages vary cross-linguistically in terms of wh-fronting when creating questions: some languages use wh-fronting in questions whilst others leave the wh in-situ. In languages which employ wh-fronting, the wh-element is seen at the beginning of the sentence. However, researchers have argued that in many Austronesian languages, the wh-element seen in the beginning of the sentence is not a result of wh-fronting but rather a result of obligatory predicate movement in these languages. We explore this claim in several Austronesian languages, and put forward a proposal that predicate-movement only derives the wh-element in the beginning of the sentences for subject and object questions. We suggest that when adjuncts are questioned and appear in the beginning of the sentence, this is because of wh-fronting and not predicate-movement.

Role

The scholar will (i) summarize the existing proposals regarding predicate movement and wh-fronting, (ii) collect data from several Austronesian languages from existing works and reference grammars, and (iii) highlight the adjunct versus argument distinction in creating questions in these languages. The scholar will also engage in discussion of how to build a proposal that can account for the empirical patterns.

Required Skills

Good analytical skills, good writing skills, ability to extract relevant data from existing works.

Benefits to Scholar

The scholar will learn how to develop research skills, and how to collect relevant data pertinent to specific research questions. The student will also learn how to evaluate competing hypotheses, and how certain data can be used to serve as arguments in favor or against a hypothesis. This will also benefit the student if they are considering a PhD, and might even give them an encouraging reason to do a PhD.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project will identify a young scholar, and give them a research opportunity that will truly see their skills flourish. The project will also attempt to retain the identified young talent in our programme, with the hopes of having them join the PhD programme. The completion of the project also will be a collaboration between a young scholar and an early career researcher, which also helps the career path of the early career researcher.

Project

This project consists of a critical discourse analysis of press releases, interviews, hansard, Waitangi Tribunal reports, and related materials regarding justice system reform under the coalition government. The aim of this research is to critically analyse the underlying narratives used by politicians and media to justify the coalition government’s policy agenda, including but not limited to the Government’s intention to restore the ‘Three Strikes’ law and the expansion of Waikeria prison. The final publication will evaluate the themes that frequently emerge in the state’s discourse around Māori and the criminal justice system, discussing these themes in the context of Louis Althusser’s theory of ideology and subject formation.

Role

I will work together with the summer scholar to identify the mass of primary sources we will subject to critical discourse analysis. The summer scholar will then work to code emerging themes that they find in these sources and group these themes together. I expect that I will conduct the actual analysis of these themes myself, but I’m very open to teaching the summer scholar about Althusser’s theory of ideology and co-authoring the paper with them.

Required Skills

The summer scholar should have an awareness of Aotearoa’s cultural context so that they are capable of understanding the historical and ideological context of the material we will be analysing. The scholar will need to be able to recognise anti-Māori racism, even if it comes couched in insinuation or innuendo. Familiarity with Marxism generally and Althusser specifically would be nice, but not required; Actual experience with critical discourse analysis should not be required, as this is fairly introductory work and I am happy to help familiarise them with the techniques.

Benefits to Scholar

The project is mostly straightforward critical discourse analysis, with a more considered theoretical analysis attached. The summer scholar will develop the ability to conduct critical discourse analysis, which they’ll be able to take forward and potentially apply to their future theses or dissertations. They’ll also see how academics can apply a theoretical framework in their analysis of an empirical source, in the production of the final publication. As I said, I am also happy (more than happy, actually) to introduce the summer scholar to the principles of Marxist social science and Althusserian critique of ideology, if they will let me.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

In terms of Taumata Teitei, for education and student experience, the summer scholar will have the opportunity to work alongside an early career academic and see firsthand what they have to look forward to if they pursue a career in this industry. In terms of research and innovation, the final publication will contribute to our understanding of how the government is justifying (or failing to justify) its justice policies. This will keep Waipapa Taumata Rau on the developing edge of Māori-centric social science, examining contemporary social problems. I think it is also probable that the final publication will be of some public interest. This will give us opportunities to collaborate with other important partners, including Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei as mana whenua of the land this university occupies, justice sector organisations, and the communities affected by the rhetoric identified in the research.

Project

Two students

Chris Wilson is currently researching the Christchurch terrorist and why he conducted his atrocity on March 15, 2019, which claimed the lives of 51 and injured many more from the Christchurch Muslim community. In early 2024, Chris and his research team discovered hundreds of previously undiscovered online posting by the terrorist which has taken what we know about him, his plans and the things that radicalised him well beyond what was provided by the Royal Commission of Inquiry. The project will provide the most detailed account of the terrorist, his background, his ideology and motives, what he sought to achieve with his attack, what might have been done to stop it, and what we can learn from his path to prevent future atrocities. Chris has signed a book contract to publish this research. The final manuscript is due on March 1, 2025. This book will be one of only a handful of such detailed studies of a terrorist and his path to his attack. The project has strong support from key stakeholders within the Aotearoa Muslim community and among Māori. Consultation with these and other groups will continue throughout the project.

Role

The Summer Scholar(s) will provide research assistance to Chris. This will include researching other terrorist perpetrators, including Dylann Roof, Anders Breivik, Payton Gendron; researching the online spaces in which those in the far right congregate; comparing political, media and legislative responses to terrorist attacks and mass shootings in Norway, Australia and New Zealand; comparing gun licensing and monitoring procedures in different countries; assisting with references and sources for the publication; other roles.

Due to the nature of the research, I will hold regular ‘check in’ meetings with the scholar(s). In addition, the research involves work towards an important public good (the safety of Aotearoa’s vulnerable communities). The scholar(s) will participate in meetings with representatives of the Muslim community and other communities so they see the benefits and value of our research.

My research team has a good support network of researchers and former students working in this area. I will provide to the scholar(s) literature on the challenges of researching in this field, and make sure they are aware of counselling and other services provided by the University. If the scholar(s) are feeling ill effects of this research, they will be redeployed to tasks with less exposure to confronting material (although the scholar(s) will not be exposed to the most distressing content).

Required Skills

The Scholar(s) should have reasonable research skills (as shown in essays and other assignments). Chris will advise and train the Scholar(s) in research however. Good writing skills will be advantageous, but the main role will be research and providing information to Chris. The Scholar(s) must be aware of the challenges of working on a confronting topic such as this. Chris will work with and discuss these issues with the Scholar(s) throughout the project. The Scholar(s) must be flexible in dealing with various roles. New avenues of research will emerge and so new tasks may be requested of the Scholar(s).I will obtain ethics approval from UAHPEC for the Scholar(s) to be involved in the project.

Benefits to Scholar

The Scholar(s) will receive the following benefits: Research mentoring, writing mentoring, involvement in a research project of immense public good, introduction to a project with direct policy relevance, networking through likely introduction to a range of stakeholders, in depth knowledge of the field of terrorism and counter terrorism. This project will provide direct pathway to Postgraduate study (in the Master of Conflict and Terrorism Studies, Politics and International Relations, Criminology or other field). Students will gain substantial experience researching a complex, important topic.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

This project focuses on the understanding and prevention of violence towards our ethnic communities. As such it is directly designed to: create a more just, safe and equitable Aotearoa; provide manaakitanga, making all groups within Aotearoa know that the University of Auckland is working hard to understand and prevent racist violence; support respect and protection of difference; provide complete information through free inquiry; generate high quality, world leading transdisciplinary research; educate students in high quality leading research.

Project

Two students

This is an exciting opportunity to pursue a research topic of your choice, based on the rich histories of Tāmaki Makaurau. In undertaking this project, the successful applicant will gain a real world understanding of different archives, hone research writing skills, and gain valuable experience at the interface of the GLAMRs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums, Records) sector and academia. As there are also sponsored scholarships in the programme, the student will be working in a team environment, under Linda Bryder and Jess Parr’s guidance.

Role

The scholar will identify, scope, and research a topic that interests them, producing three to five short articles that will be published on the Auckland History Initiative’s website (https://ahi.auckland.ac.nz/summer-research-scholarships/). This Summer Scholarship is an introduction to postgraduate study, with the student having autonomy over their project and access to two supervisors as well as the chance to build relationships and applied research skills within local leading heritage organisations. This programme is a part of the Auckland History Initiative (AHI), located in History, School of Humanities. The AHI seeks to engage with and capture the historical development, vibrancy and diversity of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and its importance to Aotearoa New Zealand life and beyond.

The start of the project is dedicated to helping the student narrow down a topic of interest that also has a set of archival records to draw on. Preliminary meetings will be held with various sectors who have already indicated a willingness to participate in this programme and have done so in the past to help students identify a topic. They include the UoA Library Special Collections team, the Auckland City Library Research Centre, and Auckland City Council Heritage Unit.

From these meetings and a brief survey of available source material, the Scholar will select a case study/topic to pursue for their project. Over the 10-week programme the scholar will be supported through weekly meetings, connections with relevant GLAMR specialists and through a series of feedback exchanges with the supervisors on their project. Through this process the Scholar will scope their topic, collect source material from a variety of archives, identify key themes and ideas, and present their research in a meaningful story.

Our expectations are that the Scholar will meet weekly with the other researchers in the team and supervisors to discuss their project. They will conduct their own research and produce three to five illustrated short articles for the AHI website on their chosen research topic (with each essay c.1500 words). They will give a presentation in the Auckland Library’s Heritage seminar series in early 2025.

Required Skills

Some historical training will be a pre-requisite along with basic computer skills. The students will not necessarily have already engaged with primary source material but will have good analytical and writing skills and be prepared to give an oral public presentation.

Benefits to Scholar

The Scholar will gain experience in scoping and presenting a research topic. To do this, they will learn to navigate electronic catalogues and other history finding aids, which will prove useful grounding for further historical research at graduate level. The Scholar will learn to read and analyse archival and other primary source material and how to use this material to tell a story. The Scholar will learn to write history in an accessible way for general readers. The Scholar will also learn about the history of the local community in which they are currently based, furthering an interest in their surroundings. The Scholar will gain valuable contacts in the GLAMR sector (two former Scholars were subsequently offered contracts by bodies in the heritage sector to conduct further research). Being asked to present the results of their research will also increase their confidence in public speaking and engagement.

Alignment to Taumata Teitei

As historians we are crucially aware of the central place of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the history of Aotearoa and Tāmaki Makaurau. Recognising our own Pakeha origins is the reason we have built close relationships with the Auckland Library Māori Specialists, who were appointed to their roles to offer support in Mātauranga/te ao Māori expertise, and this is how we will embed te ao Māori and Pacific expertise into the Summer Scholarship programme.

Last year we drew on the considerable expertise of Xavier Forsman (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa), who held the position of Poukōkiri Rangahau Māori, Senior Librarian - Māori Research. We are currently discussing these ongoing relationships with the team at Auckland Library to provide our 2024-25 Scholars with similar expertise. We will also continue to liaise with the Faculty Kaiārahi and believe the appropriate time to deepen this process would be when the students have chosen their research topics.

The project leaders, based in the Auckland History Initiative, also recognise the University’s obligations with mana whenua and its Kōtuitanga with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, with a mutual goal to enhance the University’s global impact through a mana whenua lens. We have sought ongoing relationships with this in mind.

Our 2021 symposium was introduced by Michael Kaumoana Steedman, Kaiarataki, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and included keynote address from Pania Newton (Ngati Maniapoto, Te Rarawa, Ngapuhi, Waikato) and Dr Lucy Mackintosh (Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland Museum) who discussed their journeys towards understanding the long and multiple histories in Tāmaki Makaurau. Recognising our Pasifika connections, we also invited Lama Tone, Anthony Hoete, along with Professor Deidre Brown from the School of Architecture and Planning to discuss the history of multiple strands of architecture of Tāmaki Makaurau. The annual lecture was delivered by Professor Damon Salesa.

The 2022 symposium included a talk from one of our Summer Scholars, Tommy DeSilva (see https://ahi.auckland.ac.nz/2022/06/05/understanding-historic-maori-fluidity-within-ngati-te-ata-waiohua-an-outline/) along with Robert Pouwhare, on the dynamic experiences of historic Māori through a case study of Ngāti Te Ata Waiōhua. We appreciate that relationship building is ongoing and mutual and cannot be forced. Our long-term aspiration is to embed Mātauranga/te ao Māori expertise into the project leadership, and with this expertise to devise an iwi/hapū relationship/engagement plan. This had been underway under the leadership of Hirini Kaa, an historian and the Faculty Kaiārahi, who played an integral part in the AHI until his departure from the University. We will continue to seek guidance from the Faculty’s Kaiārahi, AD-Mātauranga (Arts), and Pacific leadership to ensure we meet our obligations and to advance the histories of Tāmaki Makaurau.