Gender, identity and community: a perspective of a female Australian-New Zealand-Chinese academic

Keynote Speech: The speech starts with a review of Wendy’s personal journey as a female Australian-New Zealand-Chinese academic working in the research fields of migration, ageing and mental health. Employing three theories—Confucianism, transnationalism and volunteerism—the speech focuses on the theme that the past remains in the present and informs the future. Building upon three concepts—Chineseness, hybridity and community—that are related to Wendy’s identity, the speech provides a discussion on the multiple self and how Wendy positions herself between the West and the East

Action-teaching: stimulating active student learning in psychology through Car (Concept, Action and Reflection)

Prominent psychologist Kurt Lewin coined the term ‘action research’ to describe research aimed at solving social problems. Action teaching is the educational counterpart to action research. Just as Lewin developed action research to address social issues, action teaching not only teaches about a subject topic but contributes to the greater good. This paper showcases an innovative approach to action teaching using CAR (Concept, Action & Reflection) as a form of assessment in three subjects: Social Psychology, Intercultural Psychology and Personality Psychology. Applying theories of situated cognition, instructional scaffolding and guided discovery learning to CAR design, CAR consists of three components: 1) Concept—this component requires students to conduct a short literature review on the concept(s) they employ and to establish the conceptual connection with the pre-designed action, 2) Action— Pre-designed actions apply the concept(s) students have learned to a real world setting. Students are required to engage with community according to the instruction of action; and 3) Reflection—in the Reflection section, students are required to conceptualise their action, and reflect on what they have learned from their action and how the specific CAR helps them understand the abstract concept(s). The well-designed CARs across the three subjects not only help students learn about concepts and theories through the pre-designed actions, but also promote them to enthusiastically think about making a change in the community

Hiding Art in Freeports

In Tenet, one of Christopher Nolan’s time and reality bending movies, we are introduced to freeports. Robert Pattinson’s character, Neil, must steal something from a freeport and in a few scenes, through his time in the freeport’s vaults, we learn a bit on why freeports exist and what people store in them. In a tour, the guide tells Neil that clients can store anything in the freeports and the vault that they walk through holds expensive collections of paintings and artifacts. The items are “shipp[ed] to and from other freeports without customs inspection.” From there, we are brought on a chaotic journey as the characters try to pull off the perfect heist through the freeport’s vaults. This post was originally published on the Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review on May 2, 2023. The original post can be accessed via the Archived Link button above

Parental Perspectives On Myopia In An Urban Chinese Population

In this study, we aimed to understand how Chinese parents view myopia, including causes, progression, and treatment. We performed a cross-sectional study from July 2016 to August 2016 at Peking University 3rd Hospital in Beijing, China. Parents of myopic children completed a questionnaire including sociodemographics and Likert-style questions assessing perspectives on myopia. We employed logistic regression models to analyze relationships between responses and demographic data/degree of myopia. 109 parents completed the survey. Of these, 97 responses were included in the analysis. Almost all parents surveyed (97.9%) found their child’s myopia concerning and believe myopia is dangerous to their child’s vision. Lifestyle modifications rather than medical treatments were thought to be most effective for preventing and slowing progression of myopia. 93 (95.9%) parents reported restricting electronic screen use and 64 (61.0%) reported restricting studying/reading. All respondents were willing to use at least one treatment listed on the survey to treat their child’s myopia. Of the 97 children, only 27 were currently using any of the treatment methods. Parents were more likely to agree to a greater number of treatments if the child was a boy (OR=2.33, p\u3c0.05). Parental age/sex/education level did not affect number of methods chosen. Almost all Chinese parents in this study found their children’s myopia concerning and hoped to prevent myopia progression. However, only 27 of the 97 children were currently using methods in attempt to slow progression. Having a male child increased willingness to use treatment methods. An understanding of parental perspectives on myopia may help guide future research and patient care

Plant regeneration from leaf-derived callus cultures of Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

Efficient micropropagation of Primula species is important both for fundamental scientific studies and commercial applications. Primula vulgaris, along with other Primulaceae species, exhibits floral heteromorphy with two distinct forms of hermaphroditic flower. Studies to identify genes that control heteromorphic flower development require propagation of floral mutants, and efficient regeneration is a key requirement for plant transformation. Several species, including P. vulgaris (Huds.) cultivars and P. x polyantha hybrids are important horticultural crops in Europe, USA and Japan and semi-double/double Primula varieties offer a high-end product. Vegetative propagation of sterile double forms, and as a means to increase numbers of inbred parent plants for F1 seed production, is however, slow. Micropropagation offers the most efficient way of increasing these varieties quickly and efficiently. To date most Primula micropropagation protocols require explant material derived from in vitro grown seedlings or use floral parts as donor material with seasonal limitations. Therefore, an effective and efficient protocol was developed for in vitro regeneration of P. vulgaris via indirect organogenesis from adult leaf derived explants. Exposure of leaf explants of P. vulgaris to media containing synthetic cytokinin, thidiazuron (TDZ) and Auxin (NAA or 2,4-D) resulted in undifferentiated cell proliferation and followed by differentiated growth as shoot organogenesis. Silver nitrate improved in vitro callus growth and increased shoot regeneration further, with up to 72% of explants producing shoots. Regenerated plants developed normally and produced normal fertile flowers within 7 months. The system was also successfully applied for the micropropagation of sterile double-flowered P. vulgaris 'Sue Jervis'. The protocol reported here enables propagation of P. vulgaris without seasonal limitation or destruction of valuable parent donor material. The protocol, with further development, has the potential to underpin development of a transformation system for Primula, which would be of value in studies on flower development and disease resistance in laboratory grown plants

Chinese international students' narratives: from gaming to gambling

This book is concerned with how Chinese international students develop their various levels of participation in gaming/gambling activities and how they cope with that when gambling becomes problematic in a New Zealand context. It takes up an impressive challenge and opportunity to clarify the socio-cultural specifics of this important topic which in turn will benefit Chinese international students who are affected by problem gambling. A narrative design investigates the unique characteristics, self-reported thoughts, feelings and participation and cessation for some students. Such a design enables Chinese international students to tell their stories so that the stereotypes that have been imposed on them can be challenged and alternative stories can be promoted. This book is one of the first attempts nationally and internationally to reveal all the complex challenges faced by Chinese international students in dealing with gambling addiction and stress associated with studying in a foreign environment. It will contribute to the debate and add to the body of knowledge in cross-cultural studies on gambling and/or problem gambling in a global context

Shifting Selves: Home beyond the House - A Study of Ageing, Housing and Wellbeing of Older Chinese Migrants to New Zealand

Older Chinese immigrants are one of the largest ethnic ageing groups in New Zealand. However, people‘s everyday experiences of settling in a new and unfamiliar environment have been largely overlooked, particularly for older adults. This research explores the biographies, identities and everyday experiences of filial piety among older Chinese immigrants. Particular consideration is given to the role of filial piety in participants‘ housing and ageing experiences. This research is one of the first explorations of Chinese immigrant ageing in place, which also considers changing enactments of filial piety. The research is informed by a hybrid narrative approach that draws on episodic, go-along and fangtan interview techniques used with 32 older Chinese immigrants in Auckland and Hamilton. Findings support the importance of exploring positive experiences of migration and ageing. Older Chinese immigrants do often experience biographical disruptions and status-discrepancies when they move from China to New Zealand. However, in response, the participants engage in positive activities such as gardening and art as a means of cultivating a new sense of self and place in a new land that is compatible with their existing identities as older Chinese adults. The analysis explores the material-mediated basis for participant adjustment and acculturation. Through adaptive acculturation, older Chinese immigrants‘ abilities for both integrating into the host culture and maintaining their ethnic identities are realised. The analysis also demonstrates that traditional Chinese aged care models of family support with high level of intergenerational co-residence are evolving to encompass practices of filial piety at a distance and to encompass more pluralistic familial living arrangements. The analysis also demonstrates the importance of considering how ageing occurs beyond physical spaces and within cultural, social, relational and imagined landscapes. The analysis shifts away from the focus in existing literature on how older Chinese immigrants are passively transformed into minority subjects to how they are transforming themselves through migration and their efforts to age well in New Zealand

Narratives of older Chinese immigrants living in New Zealand: the meaning of home

Inspired by symbolic interactionism, this paper explores the meaning of home for older Chinese immigrants. According to symbolic interactionism, homes may exist in physical form, but for the person or the group, they are pointed out, categorised, interpreted, and given meanings through social interaction. In that regard, homes are social objects which are constantly changing as they are defined and redefined, constructed and reconstructed in social interaction. This paper investigates the meaning of home amongst a group of older Chinese immigrants interviewed from April to October 2008. The methods of data collection and analysis were informed by a narrative approach. Initial and follow-up interviews were conducted with 22 households of older Chinese immigrants, with a total of 34 individual participants who were currently resident in New Zealand with permanent residency or New Zealand citizenship, who were born overseas and entered New Zealand under an immigration programme, and who self-identified as Chinese and were 65 and over years of age. For this group, home means a process of reconstructing the disruptive and discrepant self, and a process of negotiating domestic power. The findings suggest that the participant's narrative is a quest narrative, which reframes the biographical disruption as a challenge