Retirement expectations and effects : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Anthropology at Massey University

In New Zealand, as in other Western societies, retirement has become a distinct and lengthy phase of the life-cycle. Some researchers have directed attention towards this topic but at present the potential for in-depth research on people in later life is largely untapped. Such research would progress beyond the statistical facts of the percentage of the population who have retired and the resulting population dependency ratio to explore the phenomenon of retirement in different social and cultural contexts. These accounts of retirement and aging could then be used to form and test theories about the personal and social significance of retirement and could become the basis for policy development. This study explores the effects and experiences of retirement on the lifestyles of a small number of people living in Wellington. The participants were seventeen former teachers and public servants who, when interviewed, were aged from 59 to 84 years and who had been retired from a few weeks to over twenty years. This allowed investigation of the effects of retirement over time. Open-ended interview's and time diaries were the main data sources. Ten men and seven women were interviewed about their expectations of and preparation for retirement, their activities, the way they spent their time in retirement and the composition of their social networks. Some spouses were also interviewed about the changes retirement had caused to their household routines and to the marriage itself. An underlying theme is that many people experienced much continuity between their pre- and post-retirement lifestyle. Retirement gave people more opportunity to select how they used time and this aspect was greatly valued. The degree of personal freedom and independence experienced was in sharp contrast to the obligations and responsibilities people had held when working. The Introduction outlines the general frame of reference for the topic of retirement, the research approach adopted and the main concepts and definitions. The contribution which research from an anthropological perspective can make to the study of aging and later life is identified. Chapter 1 discusses the scope of the project and the research methods. In addition to open-ended semi-structured interviews, participants were asked to complete a time diary which recorded their activities over a seven day period. The diaries supplemented the data obtained in the interviews about people's activities and enabled the data to be cross-checked for consistency. Chapter 2 outlines the procedures for selecting the study participants. Only former teachers and public servants were included to limit the effects of occupational differences on retirement expectations and experiences. The ages, educational qualifications, household composition, accommodation and income of the participants are outlined. The planning and preparation people had made for retirement and their expectations of it are discussed in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 describes the range of activities participants were doing or had done in retirement. Their leisure interests, involvement with different organisations and the kinds of jobs people had taken up after retiring from permanent full-time work are outlined. Chapter 5 discusses the social networks of the participants. Contact with family, friends, neighbours and contact with former colleagues and the actual work-place are described. Chapter 6 presents the conclusions of this study and compares the findings with the results of other research. General suggestions for future research efforts are also made

Computer‐based teaching and evaluation of introductory statistics for health science students: Some lessons learned

In recent years, it has become possible to introduce health science students to statistical packages at an increasingly early stage in their undergraduate studies. This has enabled teaching to take place in a computer laboratory, using real data, and encouraging an exploratory and research‐oriented approach. This paper briefly describes a hypertext Computer Based Tutorial (CBT) concerned with descriptive statistics and introductory data analysis. The CBT has three primary objectives: the introduction of concepts, the facilitation of revision, and the acquisition of skills for project work. Objective testing is incorporated and used for both self‐assessment and formal examination. Evaluation was carried out with a large group of Health Science students, heterogeneous with regard to their IT skills and basic numeracy. The results of the evaluation contain valuable lessons

Review of ‘Wallpaper’ Magazine: No. 2; No. 3

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The experience of hope for climate change advocates : a grounded theory of hope in the work and wellbeing of climate change advocates in Australia

This research explores and articulates the lived experience of hope for those working at the frontline of wicked problems by focusing on a cohort of individuals at the frontline of anthropogenic climate change. Wicked problems are problems for which there are no solutions with no stopping point and complex interdependencies. Individuals working at the frontline of climate change experience a raft of negative emotions while working with these slow-changing, complex issues. Hope research suggests that hope can be a mitigating factor on negative emotions and support emotional wellbeing. Using Constructed Grounded Theory with twelve participants, this project examines the lived experience of hope for those working at the frontline of climate change advocacy. The results demonstrate that the experience of hope sits within contextual categories of (a) the motivation to protect future generations, place and humanity; (b) being action-orientated; and (c) persistence. The process of hope for climate change advocates exists within the dialectical relationship between despair and hope, and the conscious balancing of the tension between these two polarities. This research may provide frameworks for future research on the role of hope in other cohorts working in other slow-changing, complex wicked problems. Furthermore, this research has the potential to inform the use of hope in therapeutic strategies to support the resilience and wellbeing of those working towards changing difficult social problems

There is no community practice that is neutral with respect to justice: A call for activist community praxis

Our community research and action either contributes to social justice or it serves to maintain the prevailing power structure. In the ongoing fight for racial justice, our practice either contributes to racial equity or sustains racial inequity. There is no community practice that is apolitical or neutral with respect to justice. Too often, our knowledge of deep social inequities and their contribution to human suffering “fails to translate into a lived praxis that adequately contests the multiplicity of ways racism, capitalism, homophobia, privilege, and sexism are made manifest.” The varied manifestations of community psychology practice are both pragmatic and utopian. We seek to engage in community research and action that responds to the immediate needs of communities and minimizes suffering even as we imagine a more just world. But our predominant theories, perspectives, and practices are inadequate for meeting the critical issues that we face. To respond to the intersecting crises of our times we need to move beyond approaches tied to the political and social philosophy of liberalism and employ radical imagination. We must envision radically different systems and deploy “visionary pragmatism” to help in the development of a more politically engaged praxis

Community Leadership

This paper draws on examples and stories to offer five basic assumptions for a humble model of community leadership. First, community leaders are agents of change. Second, community leaders are driven by a set of core ideals and principles of community action. Third, having or acquiring technical leadership skills or a formal position is not enough to make one an effective and transforming leader in communities. Fourth, leadership in communities is more complex and beyond the efforts of any one individual charismatic leader. Lastly, community leadership is praxis – action informed by practical wisdom and theory that is consciously reflected on in order to generate learning and new action

Community Leadership

This paper draws on examples and stories to offer five basic assumptions for a humble model of community leadership. First, community leaders are agents of change. Second, community leaders are driven by a set of core ideals and principles of community action. Third, having or acquiring technical leadership skills or a formal position is not enough to make one an effective and transforming leader in communities. Fourth, leadership in communities is more complex and beyond the efforts of any one individual charismatic leader. Lastly, community leadership is praxis – action informed by practical wisdom and theory that is consciously reflected on in order to generate learning and new action

There is no community practice that is neutral with respect to justice: A call for activist community praxis

Our community research and action either contributes to social justice or it serves to maintain the prevailing power structure. In the ongoing fight for racial justice, our practice either contributes to racial equity or sustains racial inequity. There is no community practice that is apolitical or neutral with respect to justice. Too often, our knowledge of deep social inequities and their contribution to human suffering “fails to translate into a lived praxis that adequately contests the multiplicity of ways racism, capitalism, homophobia, privilege, and sexism are made manifest.” The varied manifestations of community psychology practice are both pragmatic and utopian. We seek to engage in community research and action that responds to the immediate needs of communities and minimizes suffering even as we imagine a more just world. But our predominant theories, perspectives, and practices are inadequate for meeting the critical issues that we face. To respond to the intersecting crises of our times we need to move beyond approaches tied to the political and social philosophy of liberalism and employ radical imagination. We must envision radically different systems and deploy “visionary pragmatism” to help in the development of a more politically engaged praxis