Research has shown that body image plays a principle role in predicting the occurrence and extent of eating disordered symptomatology. The term 'body image' has multiple definitions but is most commonly used to refer to self-perceptions of body weight and shape. Evidence shows that Western socio-cultural beliefs encourage females to strive for an extremely thin, unrealistically small figure. The difficulties obtaining this thin-ideal have lead to the development of body image dissatisfaction (BID). Because the thin-ideal is a Western construct, BID was thought to effect only Western, White women, however, research shows that body image concerns and consequently eating pathology are appearing in non-Western, ethnic minority groups where they were once unknown. This has been attributed to increasing contact between ethnic minority groups and Western cultural mores. This would suggest that the degree of attachment a minority individual feels towards their ethnic identity is likely to moderate the development of BID and thus eating concerns. This thesis compared levels of body image dissatisfaction amongst ethnic groups in New Zealand, focussing particularly on Māori and Pakeha. No differences were found to exist amongst these groups with regards to body image dissatisfaction and eating pathology regardless of ethnic attachment. The information found has consequences for clinicians working with clients of Māori extraction and those researching body image dissatisfaction in New Zealand.

The study seeks to answer the question: What are the human and cultural factors in the whakapapa process? This research identifies human and cultural factors that will explicitly direct the future design of an Information Systems design and development project. Current systems and approaches come from a western/euro-centric perception of the world (Locus), but much of the data that are to be stored in the system come from unique tribal sources (Demotic). These approaches, the Locus and the Demotic, oppose each other on what to store, how it should be stored and how it may be retrieved. The approaches are the result of cultural patterns that have evolved and raise issues about the treatment of data in information systems. Issues are argued against the work of Foucault and are subsequently addressed before the data that is gathered for the study are analysed. The work of Foucault is adopted and key concepts are arrived at: Kotahitanga/Herkunft, the representation of subtle, singular, and sub-individual marks that may connect and link a person to others, forming a dense network that is difficult to unravel; Hei Ahua/Entstehung, the exact essence nature of something; and, T¯imatanga/Ursprung, the state held at the moment of arising. These establish a framework for the analysis of data. Foucault identifies two types of person, the Genealogist and the Historian. In the study these types are used to represent the approach taken by the Locus and the Demotic. They are contrasted against each other throughout the study to show how their approaches differ in vital ways. The process of comparing and contrasting the Genealogist and the Historian includes qualitative analysis and symbolic interactionism. The ethnographic analysis method, symbolic interactionism, is used to analyse primary data sources. Qualitative analysis is used to analyse secondary sources. Together, they are used to derive a cohesive set of 38 symbols that are recognisable as factors in the development of the information system. The 38 symbols are aggregated to arrive at 29 human and cultural factors in the whakapapa process. The factors can be used to guide the development of an information system for managing complex data structures.

The focus of this research is the construction of a shared vision for the environment. Specifically, the purpose of this research was to examine the construction of shared vision between different rhetorical communities for the Lake Omapere Restoration Project. In this investigation, I applied Bormann's (1972; 1983) symbolic convergence theory to the communication processes of the Resource Management Act (1991). The intended outcome of this research was to gain further understanding of the communication processes in place within the Resource Management Act 1991 in order to foster a more holistic, bicultural approach for the development of Aotearoa New Zealand*. My premise was that shared understanding through storytelling could be a useful tool for producing equitable bicultural environmental decisions. This research is concerned with how that shared vision is created rhetorically. It is based on the theoretical understanding that language constructs people's social reality (Escobar, 1996; Pearce, 1989). The literature review established that people make sense of the material world through language, deep emotional connection to the land and decision-making processes. This discussion of the different ways people come to view the material world provided the background for the central research question. The primary research question that guided the investigation was how do different rhetorical communities construct shared vision for the environment? In order to answer this question data were collected using archival records retrieved from the Northland Regional Council. The analysis of the data involved the application of Bormann's (1972; 1983) symbolic convergence theory to the construction of shared vision for the polluted condition of Lake Omapere in Northland. The fantasy theme analysis of the texts revealed two fantasy themes personifying Lake Omapere: first, the story of the dying lake, followed by second fantasy theme of the salvation of the lake. These two fantasy themes provided the rhetorical ground for the evolution of shared rhetorical vision for the restoration of the wellbeing of Lake Omapere. Following Bormann (1972; 1983), the study showed that symbolic convergence theory accounts for the irrational as well as rational aspects of positive collaborative action for the environment. This research has contributed to knowledge by showing that Bormann's (1972; 1983) symbolic convergence theory is a useful framework for explaining the process by which different rhetorical communities construct shared vision. The fantasy theme analysis approach was specifically designed for this research. Burke's (1966) "hexed" pentad was used in the initial stages of analysis to determine the elements of the fantasy themes. This study showed that construction of shared vision encompasses at least three forms of communication: consciousness creating, raising and sustaining. The study also contributed further questions as to the nature of the resulting shared vision. This study shows that the democratic dialogue that is produced from sharing stories can result in justice. The emergence of shared vision produced a new reality and an altered worldview where kaitiakitanga** has become a crucial focus for the future of Lake Omapere. The restoration of the wellbeing of Lake Omapere through establishing kaitiakitanga is now a rhetorical reality and will shape future decisions made regarding the management and restoration of the lake. The implications involved with incorporating the indigenous spiritual relational perspectives in legislation are a crucial concern for environmental decision-making both locally and internationally and further application of symbolic convergence theory research in this area is recommended.* Aotearoa New Zealand combines both the Māori and English names and is used in this thesis to acknowledge the bicultural intention of environment resource management.** Stewardship.

This thesis investigates the process of gathering user requirements for a computer system to support processes involved with Maori genealogy (whakapapa). The two main objectives are: 1). to provide information on users' requirements, and 2). to assess and refine where needed the usability approach and techniques (usability instrument) for such a task.The applied research is informed by usability methods and is emergent in that the aim is to apply the best method for the task at hand, to reflect on outcomes and then do the next step. Initial interviews and some fine-grained analysis of data types from existing data were done. In-depth inquiry into actual users was seen to be needed to get a more detailed picture of not only the specific needs but also to put that into a wider perspective of users' life values and goals. Several interviews were conducted. The usability 'methods' of building personas and user profiling were applied to the data but the end result did not reflect the breadth and difference in users. In-depth analysis of the interview data lead to identification of a number of crucial areas that require further research, importantly; how computer-based systems would enhance the learning relationship and get young people involved and how access, security and validity would be designed. The concept of Maori as a group user was proposed, which includes the roles of knowledge holder, technical expert and end user with each role using the system in a different, but cohesive, way. Further work needs to be done in investigating sub-groups within Maori not covered in this study; particularly young people and people living in rural areas. In summary, the research raised more questions than answers in terms of user requirements, however it did produce applied investigation of methods that can be used to progress the gathering of user requirements and providing a basis for usability.

Narratives of 'being Maori in addiction' have developed in a context in which Maori have been constituted as both 'drunken savages' and 'traditionally' abstinent. Discourses of colonialism and ongoing marginalisation, not to mention resistance, have been most salient in Maori narratives, while those focused on 'cultural deficit' have been more prominent within hegemonic narratives. The goal of the current thesis was to increase understanding of the construction of being Maori in addiction' by: i) identifying key discursive resources used to constitute related subject positions; and ii) identifying the ways in which such resources were deployed to accomplish particular tasks. A review of influential texts identified several core discourses, which located Maori within 'traditions' of collectivity, spirituality and connection with the land. However, the ongoing impact of colonisation, including contemporary alienation from 'tradition', and construction of Maori as the inferior 'other' within hegemonic narratives were prominent. Discourses of addiction have characteristically been based on biological notions of 'disease' and 'disorder', however, psychosocial discourse has become prominent more recently. The '12 Steps' of Alcoholic Anonymous, which provided the primary resource for participants with regard to 'addiction', also includes explicit discourses of spirituality. The current thesis was implemented within a methodological framework, kaupapa Maori. In this context deconstructive discourse analysis was identied as the most appropriate means of analysing interview data gathered from 11 men attending a 'addiction treatment' programme. The results indicated that while 'tradition' was central to narratives of 'being Maori', dicources of alienation and loss were equally salient. In terms of 'addiction', discourses of genetic inheritance were most prominent, although psychosocially constituted 'underlying issues' were also clearly located as being important. Such 'issues' were linked to both general life experiences and 'being Maori'. 'Treatment' narratives revolved around transformative narratives of 'self'. As participants disconnected themselves from 'addiction' and 'underlying issues', they reconnected with their positive ;essential self', previously compromised by 'addiction'. Two main discourses were utilised in terms of the relationship between 'being Maori' and 'addiction'. The first, deployed in aetiological narratives, constituted an inevitable link between 'being Maori' and substance use. The second, more prominent in 'treatment' narratives, located substance use as antithetical to 'Maori culture'. While both Maori and 12 Step 'traditions' were highlighted in participants' narratives, the latter tended to be privileged. 'Being Maori' was identified as important, or at least relevant, however, the opportunity to engage with integrated indigenised narratives of 'addiction' appeared to be limited by several factors. Essentialist 'tradition', for example, tended to be uncritically privileged within discourses that failed to account for contemporary 'diverse Maori realities', ignoring the complexities of relations between and within Te Ao Maori and Te Ao Pakeha. Additionally, '12 Step' discourses of 'treatment' limited construction of more broadly focused narratives of 'recovery'. Overall, the results indicated a clear need for Maori 'addiction treatments' to avoid essentialist notions of 'tradition' and support integrated narratives of 'being Maori in addication', which reflect the varied needs, capacity and experiences of individuals and whanau.

This thesis looks at the relationships Board of Trustees need to balance between themselves and their Maori communities. Their researcher was a sole Maori representative on a South Island Board of Trustees and explored the minority position of his role. The research was restricted to one Primary School and one board of Trustees. This research examined the strengths, weaknesses, attitudes and perceptions of Boards of Trustees governance when dealing with issues around their Maori communities. The role of the researcher as both writer and Board of Trustees Member, created ethical issues around objectivity and subjectivity, and sought to show how a researcher is able to remain impartial, in their own study. The research found that relationships between mainstream Boards of Trustees and their Maori communities are better developed by including local iwi or hapu, therefore making a three way relationship.

Raupatu (conquest of land) has been and still is a threat to the sovereignty and self-management of the Maori people. For the people of Waikato, raupatu has had such a significant impact that it has become a part of the people's identity. The New Zealand Land Wars of the 1860s signalled the beginning of the troubles for Waikato that would plague them for generations. Many Waikato people died for the land that had once nourished them, which was 'stolen' by the Crown and its colonial forces under the guise of 'confiscation' by way of the New Zealand Settlement Act 1863. This thesis examines raupatu in relation to the Waikato people, and the effects raupatu has had on them. This thesis also illustrates the connection between the Waikato people and whenua tupu (ancestral lands) through countless generations of people who committed their lives to the struggle to have their lands returned as proclaimed in the decree 'i haere whenua atu, me hoki whenua mai.' This decree is examined in relationship to the Deed of Settlement 1995 whereby the Crown addressed the grievances of the Waikato people and some hope was once again instilled within the people.

The purpose of this project was to design and evaluate a sport-based life skills intervention designed for indigenous New Zealand (Maori) youth who may be exposed to drug or alcohol abuse. An indigenous research approach known as Kaupapa Maori research was utilised. As an indigenous approach, Kaupapa Maori signifies the importance of research with Maori being initiated, determined, and validated by Maori and in particular, by those directly involved with the research initiative (Bishop, 1996; Tuhiwai-Smith, 1999). As a result of adhering to a Kaupapa Maori approach the participants determined additional areas of interest including academic self-esteem, intrinsic motivation for schoolwork and career awareness. Therefore, the initial project grew to include several other life skills areas identified by the participants. The life skills basis of the 'Hokowhitu' intervention was adapted from the Going for the Goal (GOAL) and Sports United to Promote Education and Recreation (SUPER) programmes developed by Professor Steve Danish (Danish, 1997; Danish & Nellen, 1997; Danish, Meyer, Mash, Howard, Curl, Brunelle & Owens, 1998). The GOAL and SUPER programmes taught life skills to adolescents including informed decision-making, health-enhancing activities (e.g., goal setting) and health-compromising activities (e.g., drug & alcohol abuse). A New Zealand (NZ) version of the GOAL programme was successfully pilot-tested in 1997-1998 in NZ schools with non-Maori adolescents (Hodge & Danish, 1999; Hodge, Cresswell, Sherburn, & Dugdale, 1999). The evaluation of the Hokowhitu programme used both quantitative and qualitative analyses. The qualitative investigation received an enthusiastic response and supportive results for the Hokowhitu programme. Many of the research participants preferred the qualitative investigative approach because of the culturally recognised components (e.g., Te kanohi ki kanohi or face-to-face method used to ask questions). The quantitative investigation used; Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon, Chi Square and McNemar statistical tests (Harraway, 1995). The outcome of the overall programme evaluation showed that the Hokowhitu programme provided improvements in; (a) academic self-esteem, (b) increased intrinsic motivation for schoolwork, (c) increased career awareness, and (d) increased drug and alcohol awareness in adolescent Maori. Also, there was some statistical support for the Hokowhitu programme and evidence that life skills and Kaupapa Maori ideologies were able to be successfully integrated into a sport-based programme.

Waka have a special place in the heart of many Maaori. The waka that brought the ancestors of the Maaori to Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu are valued symbols of identity, both culturally and metaphorically. With the effects of colonisation the use of waka as a means of transport disappeared leaving it to re-emerge in the 20th century as a symbol of the revitalisation of Maaori society. Through the construction of waka-taua, ocean going waka and the emergence of waka-ama as a sport, Maaori have endeavoured to reclaim their association to the seas and waterways of New Zealand. This research is a case study of Tupuwae, a kaupapa Maaori injury prevention project using traditional Maaori concepts regarding waka and applying it to a contemporary context. Tapuwae have used this attachment of Maaori to different forms of waka to associate the message of not drinking and driving using purpose-built waka-ama in the southern part of Te Waipounamu. This research identifies some of the wider outcomes that come from a kaupapa Maaori project, but, more importantly it identifies some of the processes that are important in implementing such a project by Maaori living in Otago, outside their tribal boundaries. This research also raises questions about the theoretical underpinnings of kaupapa Maaori theory and argues that there are two threads to this approach, one from a critical theory informed approach and the other from a native theory approach. Key words:Waka, Community Action, Community Development, Kaupapa Maaori, Maaori Development, Maaori Advancement, Native Theory.

The object of this study was to identify microscopic differences among six selected cultivars of harakeke traditionally used by Maori in weaving. The cultivars were Arawa, Makaweroa, Paretaniwha, Takaiapu, Takirikau, and Tapamangu. The effectiveness of different microscopy techniques for taking measurements of the dimensions of ultimate fibres using a factorial experimental design was investigated in part A. Constant variables were geographical location, location of specimens along the leaf, season (winter), individual plant, fan, north-facing fan, and age of plant (approximately seven years), and cultivars (Paretaniwha and Tapamangu). Experimental variables were the microscopy techniques used and measurement axis. Techniques selected use on further cultivars in part B were transverse sections of leaf specimens 4 m thick, embedded in Paraplast� and observed using LM, and non-fixed ultimate fibres observed using SEM. In part B the dimensions of ultimate fibres from the six selected cultivars of harakeke were measured, and analysed (ANOVA and Tukey's HSD), and the transverse section shapes of fibre aggregates were observed. Transverse widths of ultimate fibres ranged from 10.15 m (Takaipu) -12.80 m (Paretaniwha). Ultimate fibre lengths ranged from 3735 m (Takirikau) - 4751 m (Makaweroa). The cultivars prizes for muka, Arawa and Makaweroa, had the longest and finest ultimate fibre bundles more uniform in transverse-sectional shape than the other cultivars studied and perhaps this explains their selection for extraction of muka. Takirikau had a high yield of ultimate fibre bundles, and perhaps this makes extraction of muka worthwhile. Paretaniwha differed from the other five cultivars studied having an average number of ultimate fibre bundles per unit width that were narrow and non-uniform in shape, and composed of short, thick, ultimate fibre cells. The microscopic structure of muka from six selected cultivars of harakeke used traditionally for weaving varied and may explain differences perceived by weavers, and that different end uses are preferred for various cultivars.