Riots, Strikes, and Radical Politics in Aotearoa New Zealand

The riot is positioned by some contemporary Left theorists and activists as the harbinger of a future emancipatory politics. This view has emerged in a period of political transition in which traditional modes of Left organisation are routinely dismissed as ineffective. This paper examines the history of the riot in Aotearoa New Zealand, seeking to understand what role, if any, the riot might play in this country’s future. &nbsp

Causes of Color Blindness: Function and Failure of the Genes that Detect Color

Color blindness affects nearly 10% of the entire population, with multiple types of color blindness from various genetic mutations. In the following sections, the nature of light and how the human eye perceives light will be discussed. Afterward, the major forms of color blindness and their genetic causes will be considered. Once these genetic causes have been established, the current method for diagnosing color blindness will be investigated, followed by a discussion of the current treatments available to those with color blindness. Finally, a brief discussion will address possible future work for color blindness with the hope of finding better treatments and a future prevention

A Resurgent Left

  A consideration of the recent advances made by the Left in Aotearoa New Zealand. &nbsp

The Right to Housing

An introduction to this special issue of Counterfutures

Peroxygenase Enzymatic Activity in Plants: Ginger, Rutabaga, and Jalapeno Peppers

Undergraduat

Petrology and Geochemistry of Mafic Lavas near Glacier Peak, North Cascades, Washington

Major element, trace element, and mineral compositions have been determined for four Quaternary mafic monogenetic cinder cones and flows south of Glacier Peak, a dacitic stratovolcano in the northern Cascade arc. The flows are the Whitechuck basalt, and the basaltic andesites of Indian Pass, Lightning Creek, and Dishpan Gap. Whitechuck has high concentrations of AI2O3 (≥ 18 wt.%) and low concentrations of K2O (≤ 0.45 wt.%) and shares similar trace element characteristics with high alumina olivine tholeiites reported in the central and southern Cascades. The three basaltic andesites are calc-alkaline. Indian Pass and Lighting Creek have primitive compositions, with Mg# [100*Mg/(Mg+Fe*)] \u3e 65, Cr \u3e 200 ppm, and Ni \u3e 100 ppm. Most samples have olivine in equilibrium with bulk rock compositions. Rb and Sr are relatively low in most flows, especially at Whitechuck and Dishpan Gap. Sr and La decrease with increasing SiO2 in the Lightning Creek and Dishpan Gap cinder cones, indicating possible mixing with a Sr and La-poor felsic component represented by the most evolved Glacier Peak dacites. Petrographic observations of disequilibrium textures such as xenocrysts, xenoliths, quenched glass inclusions, and strongly-zoned phenocrysts in these two flows also indicate possible melting. All flows are enriched in large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements relative to high field strength elements, showing that the mantle beneath Glacier Peak has been fluxed by a hydrous subduction component. Ba/Nb ratios (~40-110) are highest for the three basaltic andesites, indicating that they had the greatest amount of subduction component enrichment. Nb and Ta abundances are highest at Indian Pass (Nb =~7 ppm) and lowest at Whitechuck (Nb = ~2-3), indicating that Indian Pass and the other two basaltic andesites were produced by relatively low degree hydrous melts of depleted mantle. In comparison, the Whitechuck basalts were produced by relatively dry (2O) slightly higher degree melting of a more depleted mantle (similar to NMORB) source. Of the three mantle-domains inferred beneath the Cascades, only a MORB-like mantle and a subduction-fluxed depleted mantle are represented beneath the Glacier Peak region. No OIB-like mantle domain is thus far represented in the Cascades north of the Mt. Rainier region

What's Left? - an Exploration of Social Movements, the Left and Activism in New Zealand Today

Surveys of the situation and prospects of the contemporary Left over the past three decades have frequently underscored themes of fragmentation, decline, even terminal demise. This thesis explores the question of the contemporary Left through interviews conducted with participants in New Zealand social movements. The general theoretical literature around the Left and social movements has consistently highlighted a number of social changes and challenges facing the Left today: the split between old and new Lefts following the rise of the new social movements; economic transformation (for instance, post-Fordism), and changes in class composition; the rise of neo-liberalism, and the dislocating effects of globalization; intellectual challenges, such as the demise of Marxism and the rise of post-modern philosophy; challenges to the state, and the arrival of a "post-political" condition. Analysis of the New Zealand literature around the Left and social movements shows congruent arguments and themes, as well as suggesting Antipodean specificities. To examine these contentions, a series of interviews were conducted with participants in "Left" social movements. These interviews suggest both congruence with some of the arguments in the literature and complexities that do not confirm these generalizations. In particular, the suggestion that a third phase of the Left is emerging, characterized by the joining of culturalist and materialist emphases, appears somewhat confirmed. In addition, a number of the challenges signalled in the literature were singled out by interviewees as pressing - for instance, neo-liberalism and the mediatisation of politics. With respect to the modes of action of social movements connected to the Left, there was here too some confirmation of themes from the literature - for instance, the importance of networking. On the other hand, the widespread theme of the wholesale decline of collective actions was put into question by those interviewed. While no definitive conclusions can be drawn from such a study, the interviews suggest the Left may be entering a period of renewal

Struggles from Below during Neoliberal Decline Interview with Laurence Cox

Laurence Cox grew up around social movements and has been involved since the early 1980s, in many different movements across several countries. Cox co-founded and co-edits the activist/academic movement journal Interface, co-directed an MA on activism in Maynooth, and works with activist PhD students. He is a senior lecturer in sociology at the National University of Ireland Maynooth. His recent books include Why Social Movements Matter (2018) and, with Salar Mohandesi and Bjarke Risager, Voices of 1968 (2018). Most of his work is available free online via laurencecox.wordpress.com, academia.edu, and elsewhere. Here, Dylan Taylor talks to him about the tensions between activism and academia, the importance of Marxism in the study of social movements, and the decline of neoliberal hegemony

Navigating Activism and Academia

An introduction to this special issue of Counterfutures on the relationship between activism and academia. &nbsp

Facing hierarchy: a qualitative study of residents\u27 experiences in an obstetrical simulation scenario

BACKGROUND: Residents in surgical specialties face a steep hierarchy when managing medical crises. Hierarchy can negatively impact patient safety when team members are reluctant to speak up. Yet, simulation has scarcely been previously utilized to qualitatively explore the way residents in surgical specialities navigate this challenge. The study aimed to explore the experiences of residents in one surgical specialty, obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn), when challenging hierarchy, with the goal of informing future interventions to optimize resident learning and patient safety. METHODS: Eight 3rd- and 4th-year Ob/Gyn residents participated in a simulation scenario in which their supervising physician made an erroneous medical decision that jeopardized the wellbeing of the labouring mother and her foetus. Residents participated in 30-45 min semi-structured interviews that explored their approach to managing this scenario. Transcribed interviews were analysed using qualitative thematic inquiry by three research team members, finalizing the identified themes once consensus was reached. RESULTS: Study results show that the simulated scenario did create an experience of hierarchy that challenged residents. In response, residents adopted three distinct communication strategies while confronting hierarchy: (1) messaging - a mere reporting of existing clinical information; (2) interpretive - a deliberate construction of clinical facts aimed at swaying supervising physician\u27s clinical decision; and (3) advocative - a readiness to confront the staff physician\u27s clinical decision. Furthermore, residents utilized coping mechanisms to mitigate challenges related to confronting hierarchy, namely deflecting responsibility, diminishing urgency, and drafting allies. Both these communication strategies and coping mechanisms shaped their practice when challenging hierarchy to preserve patient safety. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the complex processes in which residents engage when confronting hierarchy can serve to inform the development and study of curricular innovations. Informed by these processes, we must move beyond solely teaching residents to speak up and consider a broader curriculum that targets not only residents but also faculty physicians and the learning environment within the organization