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New Zealand Studies

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lightbulbAbout this topic
New Zealand Studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that explores the history, culture, society, and environment of New Zealand. It encompasses various disciplines, including history, literature, sociology, and environmental studies, to analyze the unique characteristics and developments of New Zealand and its indigenous Māori culture.
lightbulbAbout this topic
New Zealand Studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that explores the history, culture, society, and environment of New Zealand. It encompasses various disciplines, including history, literature, sociology, and environmental studies, to analyze the unique characteristics and developments of New Zealand and its indigenous Māori culture.

Key research themes

1. How is mātauranga Māori revitalization linked to tino rangatiratanga and the future of New Zealand science?

This theme investigates the ongoing marginalization of mātauranga Māori (the Indigenous knowledge system of Māori) within New Zealand, emphasizing the critical need for its revitalization grounded in tino rangatiratanga (Māori sovereignty and self-determination). Research explores how Western epistemologies have historically dominated scientific discourse and policy, sidelining Indigenous knowledge systems, and argues for the reintegration and recognition of mātauranga Māori as a coequal, dynamic knowledge framework essential for Māori survival and cultural flourishing. This theme matters as it addresses decolonizing scientific paradigms, fulfilling government obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi and international Indigenous rights, and reshaping New Zealand’s scientific future to reflect biculturalism authentically.

Key finding: This paper establishes that mātauranga Māori constitutes a comprehensive and relational Indigenous knowledge system, currently marginalized by government policies favoring Western science. It demonstrates the necessity of... Read more

2. What are the dynamics between settler colonialism, cultural narratives, and political sovereignty in post-pandemic Aotearoa/New Zealand?

This theme examines how the Covid-19 pandemic accentuated and reconfigured the practices and discourses of settler colonial bordering in New Zealand, exposing historic continuities in Indigenous dispossession and racialized governance. Research focuses on the intersection of state-enforced border regimes, Indigenous tino rangatiratanga, kinship ethics, and environment-based sovereignty, analyzing how intensified bordering practices during the pandemic exacerbated racial and social inequalities but also opened possibilities for new social alliances among Indigenous peoples, migrants, and colonized communities. Understanding this dynamic is vital for grasping contemporary nation-building, resistance, and reimagining post-pandemic futures within settler colonial contexts.

Key finding: This essay conceptualizes Covid-19 not merely as an event but as a structural node amplifying existing settler colonial patterns in New Zealand, notably through restrictive border policies that reinforce racialized... Read more

3. How does linguistic racism manifest in New Zealand's public discourse toward te reo Māori, and what are its implications for Indigenous language revitalization?

This theme addresses the social and political dynamics underpinning linguistic racism targeted at te reo Māori, exploring its roots in settler colonial history and its persisting effect on language hierarchies. It interrogates the overt and covert opposition to Māori language normalization by Pākehā New Zealanders, particularly older generations, situating these attitudes within broader frameworks of racialized and nationalist identity politics. This research matters because it reveals how language discrimination operates as a mode of cultural racism, affecting revitalization efforts and the broader recognition of Māori cultural rights in a settler colonial society.

Key finding: This paper presents qualitative evidence that discourses opposing the increased visibility and normalization of te reo Māori are forms of linguistic racism, emerging from a settler-colonial legacy privileging English... Read more

4. How do biopolitical policies and social narratives influence treaty debates and race relations in contemporary New Zealand?

This theme explores political and social contestations surrounding the Treaty of Waitangi, including contemporary legislative proposals such as the Principles of the Treaty Bill and their reception by diverse societal actors, including religious leaders and political parties. The research evaluates how these debates intersect with issues of Indigenous sovereignty, social justice, and race relations, highlighting the role of political rhetoric, church influence, and public discourse in shaping national identity and reconciliation processes. Understanding these dynamics is essential for navigating the evolving landscape of Indigenous-settler relations in New Zealand’s polity.

Key finding: This paper analyses the public reaction to the Principles of the Treaty Bill, particularly focusing on the role of church leaders who voiced concerns about the Bill’s potential divisiveness. It reveals intra-societal tensions... Read more

5. How have forced labor and settler colonial infrastructure projects shaped socio-ecological relations and Indigenous dispossession in New Zealand's central plateau?

This theme investigates the historical interplay between settler colonial infrastructure development, specifically prisoner-built highways, and ecological as well as Indigenous social relations in New Zealand’s central plateau region. It situates imperial capital accumulation within broader ecological regimes that incorporate both human and extra-human nature, emphasizing commodity frontiers and ongoing primitive accumulation. This intersection elucidates how colonial exploitation transcended simple economic terms, embedding itself in social, environmental, and racial contexts that continue to shape contemporary landscapes and Indigenous dispossession.

Key finding: Building on recent critical political economy scholarship, this work documents the use of prisoner forced labor in constructing state highways across key Indigenous territories and national parks. It contextualizes these... Read more

6. What are the implications of revisiting and differentiating the multiple Treaty of Waitangi sheets for Indigenous sovereignty and settler colonial legal frameworks?

This theme critically reexamines the Treaties of Waitangi not as a single monolithic document but as multiple differentiated treaties signed by distinct hapū and iwi with the British Crown. It challenges dominant legal and governmental narratives that privilege the English Treaty as the normative text, arguing instead for recognition of the plurality and sovereignty of Māori groups as reflected in the various Treaty sheets. This reconsideration has profound implications for treaty principles, Indigenous rights claims, and the decolonization of New Zealand’s legal and political systems.

Key finding: The study reveals that the Fedarb Treaty sheet, specific to Bay of Plenty hapū, offers fundamentally different terms than the singular 'Treaty narrative', focusing primarily on land-use regulation rather than comprehensive... Read more

7. How do overlooked early Māori-Russian encounters expand historiographical understandings of New Zealand’s pre-colonial and cross-cultural interactions?

This theme uncovers early 19th-century encounters between Māori and Russian explorers, a neglected area in New Zealand historiography often centered on British and European contact narratives. By translating and analyzing primary Russian sources, researchers explore perceptions, interactions, and linguistic exchanges involving key Māori chiefs and officers during voyages predating formal colonization. This research provides nuanced insights into Māori agency, intercultural diplomacy, and the broader geopolitical context of Pacific exploration, enriching the tapestry of New Zealand's early colonial history.

Key finding: Utilizing first full English translations of Russian naval officers’ logs and memoirs, this article illuminates two significant early encounters between Māori chiefs and Russian explorers outside the dominant British colonial... Read more

8. How do social indicators and wellbeing metrics evolve in New Zealand to capture family and whānau wellbeing amid shifting societal contexts?

This theme explores the development, decline, and subsequent revival of social indicators and reporting frameworks in New Zealand, tracing their methodological challenges and political contexts. It evaluates the contributions of projects such as the Family and Whānau Wellbeing Project, which foreground Indigenous and family-centered wellbeing dimensions, augmenting traditional indicators. The research addresses how effective measurement tools link to social policy, enable equity-driven interventions, and respond to changing demographic and cultural realities.

Key finding: The paper documents the cyclical interest in social indicators in New Zealand—peaking in the 1970s and reviving around the 2000s—and critiques past methodological deficits due to the lack of theoretical frameworks and... Read more

9. What are the socio-political critiques surrounding New Zealand’s proposed gene technology legislation in relation to agriculture, labeling, and the ‘clean and green’ national identity?

This theme critiques the 2024 Gene Technology Bill in New Zealand, focusing on its ambiguous regulatory scope regarding genetic modification in agriculture and food systems. Research interrogates concerns over potential dilution of the country’s ‘clean and green’ brand, consumer rights pertaining to GMO labeling, and the delegation of regulatory power to a single ‘Gene Technology Regulator’. It also surveys the implications of the Bill’s approach for agricultural sustainability, market confidence, and national identity tied to environmental values.

Key finding: This submission critically finds the Gene Technology Bill’s lack of clarity and insufficient agricultural exclusions problematic, arguing that it risks eroding New Zealand’s internationally valued ‘clean and green’ food... Read more

All papers in New Zealand Studies

The rise of digital marketing has led businesses to adopt innovative strategies to capture consumer attention. Animated advertisements have emerged as a powerful tool, leveraging dynamic visuals, engaging storylines, and emotional... more
The rediscovery of photograph, "Grandmother of the Jenkins family", led to research to confirm the identity of the sitter as Pakewa (1800-1873), rangatira of Kapiti Coast, New Zealand. The unintended consequence of the research was... more
This chapter explores the complexities of collaborative digital creation through haptic HONGI, an Augmented Reality (AR) project that is both transdisciplinary and intercultural in its conception. haptic HONGI aims to use contemporary... more
James Tannock Mackelvie sent many items to Auckland in the late nineteenth century, amongst which were objects of archaeological provenance. Auckland at the time was home to fledgling societies such as the Auckland Acclimatisation Society... more
Globalization and climate change have been extreme in causing environmental crises and cultural responses relating to the world today, which have led to eco-criticism as an essential structure of looking at literature in the times of the... more
This study conducts the valuation of the urban Green Open Spaces (GOS) in Jakarta (Indonesia) using the life satisfaction approach (LSA). We integrated the important elements of the LSA, such as housing structure and environmental... more
How William Ball Sutch, with a reputation as a distinguished economist, achieved his doctorate at Columbia University in a remarkably brief period of time and by researching a New Zealand topic in New York is an intriguing question which... more
is associated with the Media, Film and Communications Department at the University of Otago. He is also a registered psychotherapist in private practice. Recent papers include work on new technologies, mobile devices, psychoanalysis and... more
In this paper we apply Anscombe's account of human linguistic practices and of intentional action in a novel way-to the acts, by members of the Ngāi Tahu tribe in colonial-era Aotearoa New Zealand, of writing Letters to the Editor of... more
Background: Greenspace has the potential to be a vital resource for promoting healthy living for people in urban areas, offering both opportunities for physical activity and wellbeing. Much research has explored the objectively measurable... more
Design with Nature had a global impact on late twentieth-century landscape architectural practice. This paper looks at both the direct influence of the text and how McHarg's ideas were developed on Waiheke Island New Zealand. The project... more
i have had some fine teachers: C. k. stead, Bill Pearson and Mac Jackson ran the graduate course in New Zealand literature at the University of Auckland when i was a student, and i have always been grateful for their inspiration and... more
This paper presents the findings of research conducted in 2013 for the Bishop’s Action Foundation (BAF) through the Centre for Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago. It explores how churches and faith-based organisations can... more
Around the world, many societies are trying to create and apply apparatuses that recognise Indigenous interests in freshwater systems. Such policies and strategies often acknowledge Indigenous peoples’ rights and values they attached to... more
This report shares findings from the Pandemic Generation study.
This study heard from 26 Auckland children aged 7-11 about
their experiences of growing up and participating in public health
measures during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A "spirit of place" is a bond between a place and its people built on tangible and intangible aspects, forming the identity or character of a community. The development of a city brings changes in different aspects that might put pressure... more
by Ash K
This paper looks at what it means for South Asian migrant women to feel like they belong in New Zealand. It talks about how moving to a new country changes identity and how women’s skills and experiences from overseas are often... more
The Machi Patawa Confederation reclaims and reconstructs the identity of Southeastern Aboriginal American descendants through historical research, whole genome DNA evidence, and cultural revitalization. This paper outlines the foundation... more
The Anthropocene Media Project is an on-going research project on how the Anthropocene (the geological concept created to measure and name human impacts on the Earth System) is represented in the mass media in local languages all over the... more
"We are what we remember." The vision of Pacific literature in this article is based on my research on the Cook Islands and the U.S.A. about the American writer Robert Dean Frisbie who lived and wrote in the South Pacific in the first... more
This article explores the intersection of return migration, entrepreneurship, and reverse transnationalism through the case of Park Yu-joong, a Korean returnee from Argentina. Park immigrated to Argentina in 1981 and returned to the... more
Introduction to the Special Issue Convection Currents in Latin American and Caribbean Geo-Aesthetics
Panelists will present and discuss issues related to producing 3D computer animation and digital image synthesis in the context of long format productions. Top producers of feature films, television shows and specials will be the featured... more
by Ash K
I’m looking into the lives of South Asian women who’ve moved to New Zealand. This essay talks about the ups and downs they face, how different their backgrounds can be, and the important role they play in our communities. It’s based on my... more
Parliamentary democracy is the most significant contribution of the British to the world. Before India's independence from England, the nation had experience working in a parliamentary democracy, so many countries under the British... more
Alongside the recent sociological theories related to multiculturalism, recent years have been marked by the development of anthropological theories on critical multiculturalism, in particular regarding the importance of... more
Povijest Hrvata u Novom Zelandu seže u 19. stoljeće, a cilj je rada pristupiti analizi razvoja tamošnje hrvatske dijasporske zajednice kroz perspektivu emocija kao temelja njezine formacije. Pritom će fokus biti na Aucklandu gdje je... more
This paper describes the evolution and current status of advanced practice in medical imaging and radiation therapy in the Oceania region. To date development has been slow, largely ad hoc and based on local needs. Most advanced practice... more
German settlement in Natal was dominated by the Hermannsburg Mission Society and the philosophy and approach of the missionaries ensured that the German language and culture has flourished for more than 145 years. The paper explores the... more
Museum as an institution has been, throughout history, inevitably connected with ideology, involved in establishing and shaping of cultural memory, and crea-tion and affirmation of collective identities, based on scientific knowledge and... more
SAHMADI, Docteur ès Etudes anglaises, chercheur indépendant L'on aura beaucoup travaillé à réconcilier la fiction à la réalité, nous démenant corps et âme pour défendre la première contre tous les reproches plus ou moins virulents... more
The role and scope of councillors' responsibilities varies across Australian local government jurisdictions. For example, in Queensland councillors are expected to dedicate their time and expertise on a full time basis and as a result... more
This paper discusses the impact that Shakespeare forgeries have on our understanding and appreciation of literature which turns history inside out and back to front. Were these forgeries an attempt to construct a narrative on the life of... more
Gus Fisher Gallery's upcoming exhibition Tala o le tau brings together new and significant bodies of work by Angela Tiatia, Yuki Kihara and women from Moata’a Aualuma Community that collectively explore themes of climate crisis,... more
Australia and New Zealand have a shared past, but not a shared history. A project at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand addresses this problem by exploring the relationship between the two countries on multiple levelspolitical,... more
The Anthropocene denotes the period in planetary history when human beings have become the most important force of planetary transformation. True, humans have altered their environment at least since the agricultural revolution in the... more
This paper interrogates the contentious legacy of the Crusaders’ name within Aotearoa New Zealand, arguing that its origins in the Crusades are deeply offensive to Muslim communities and resonate with the historical violence of the... more
Abstract:This essay explores three examples of contemporary Asian theatre in New Zealand: Renee Liang’s opera The Bone Feeder (2017), Mei-Lin Te Puea Hansen’s The Mooncake and the Kumara (2015), and Alice Canton’s OTHER [chinese] (2017).... more
Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand, is a cultural institution located in Aotearoa New Zealand. The museum’s foundational principle of biculturalism appears increasingly inadequate for addressing the fundamental injustices... more
Kurikulum adalah seperangkat rencana dan pengaturan mengenai tujuan, isi, dan bahan pelajaran serta cara yang digunakan sebagai pedoman penyelenggaraan kegiatan pembelajaran untuk mencapai tujuan pendidikan tertentu (UU Nomor 20 Tahun... more
After the institution of representative government in 1852, New Zealand moved steadily towards a universal franchise. 1 Pākehā (white settler) New Zealanders have long enjoyed reciting the milestones in the country's journey from... more
The place in New Zealand art history of Paul Olds (1922-1976) remains relatively obscure. Olds' oeuvre defies easy categorisation and does not readily align with established notions of New Zealand modernism. He made a considerable impact... more
The Gene Technology Act 2024 is a Bill before the New Zealand Parliament that fails to clearly define what it purports to regulate, i.e. Gene Technology. The present submission and recommendations pertain to agriculture and food (the food... more
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