The Limits of Endurance: Shell Shock and Dissent in World War One

Soldiers serving on the Western Front had few opportunities to question the situation in which they found themselves. Censorship limited what they could tell people at home, though there were acceptable forms of dissent such as grumbling, jokes, poems and songs. More serious responses to the intolerable conditions of modern warfare were the nervous conditions variously described as shell shock, concussion neurasthenia, hysteria, exhaustion, pithiatism, and psychasthenia. The need to provide treatment for many servicemen after they returned to New Zealand revealed the extent of the psychological damage among these veterans. Such consequences are now better understood in terms of concepts like post-traumatic stress, but a purely medical model of these effects can overlook the degree to which "shell shock" could also be an expression of an involuntary protest against military service.  &nbsp

Down under: Ressentiment in the work of Frank Sargeson

Frank Sargeson’s stories and novels often contain violent episodes. These have generally been interpreted as responses to the suffocating influence of Puritanism in New Zealand society. They are also expressions of ressentiment, an emotional stance in which a person is consumed by feelings of anger, jealousy and helplessness. Ressentiment provides the psychological dynamics for much of Sargeson’s writing. This article traces the role of ressentiment in Sargeson’s works and assesses the extent to which it enhances or takes away from their quality

The shadowland manipulator: Sir Ernest “Booze”, John A. Lee, and the Labour Party

For Mine is the Kingdom, published in 1975, is John A. Lee’s tell-all account of his long relationship with Sir Ernest Davis, the Auckland beer baron, philanthropist, mayor, and leading financier of the Labour Party. It is frustrating as an historical document because of Lee’s fondness for reconstructed conversations and its semi-novelistic style. As a result, it is often hard to assess the accuracy of Lee’s portrayal of the sinister but engaging “Sir Booze.” Despite these limitations, it remains the most detailed description of the links between the early Labour Party and the brewing industry. As an exercise in psychobiography it is also only partially successful, yet its description of Davis’ relentless womanising and exploitation of his female staff, as well as his financial support for Labour, is emblematic of the shadowy way Davis operated, both in the bedroom and in the interests of his business

The Early Norman Castles of the North of England

This thesis studies the distribution of Norman castles of the 11th-12th centuries across the north of England. A methodology is presented for assessing the reliability of identification of castle sites, and applied to the whole region in order to produce a substantial body of data. This data is then considered in two principal ways: the siting of castles in relation to other geographic features such as the topography, navigable rivers, Roman roads and forts; and the differing distribution patterns of the varied physical remains of castles. This study revealed a particularly significant difference in the distribution of stone-rebuilding of castles, as against the general distribution of earthwork sites as a whole. It is argued that this reveals the changing role of castles over the course of the Norman period, as different economic, military and social factors influenced their use by the landowning classes, both Norman and English. The archaeological evidence for stone-rebuilding of castles provides a chronological scheme for studying Norman castles that can be applied despite the lack of historical dating evidence for the majority of sites

Success for pacific learners : the impact of tertiary education strategies

This project examined the impact of the 3 successive tertiary education strategies (2002-2007; 2007-2012 and 2010-2015) on how tertiary education institutions have developed their support for Pacific learners. Findings show that the Pasifika objectives within each of the 3 strategies are considered to be an important signal to Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs) that success for Pasifika learners is a significant and continuing government priority and that the strategies are seen as an important enabler of change. These objectives have raised the priority for action to support Pasifika learners, unlocked resources for Pasifika initiatives and promoted the inclusion of Pasifika priorities on the strategic agendas of TEIs. It was noted however, this influence is only one of a number of internal and external, and local and national influences on enhancing success for Pasifika learners

The Limits of Endurance: Shell Shock and Dissent in World War One

Soldiers serving on the Western Front had few opportunities to question the situation in which they found themselves. Censorship limited what they could tell people at home, though there were acceptable forms of dissent such as grumbling, jokes, poems and songs. More serious responses to the intolerable conditions of modern warfare were the nervous conditions variously described as shell shock, concussion neurasthenia, hysteria, exhaustion, pithiatism, and psychasthenia. The need to provide treatment for many servicemen after they returned to New Zealand revealed the extent of the psychological damage among these veterans. Such consequences are now better understood in terms of concepts like post-traumatic stress, but a purely medical model of these effects can overlook the degree to which "shell shock" could also be an expression of an involuntary protest against military service.  &nbsp

The shadowland manipulator: Sir Ernest “Booze”, John A. Lee, and the Labour Party

For Mine is the Kingdom, published in 1975, is John A. Lee’s tell-all account of his long relationship with Sir Ernest Davis, the Auckland beer baron, philanthropist, mayor, and leading financier of the Labour Party. It is frustrating as an historical document because of Lee’s fondness for reconstructed conversations and its semi-novelistic style. As a result, it is often hard to assess the accuracy of Lee’s portrayal of the sinister but engaging “Sir Booze.” Despite these limitations, it remains the most detailed description of the links between the early Labour Party and the brewing industry. As an exercise in psychobiography it is also only partially successful, yet its description of Davis’ relentless womanising and exploitation of his female staff, as well as his financial support for Labour, is emblematic of the shadowy way Davis operated, both in the bedroom and in the interests of his business

Down under: Ressentiment in the work of Frank Sargeson

Frank Sargeson’s stories and novels often contain violent episodes. These have generally been interpreted as responses to the suffocating influence of Puritanism in New Zealand society. They are also expressions of ressentiment, an emotional stance in which a person is consumed by feelings of anger, jealousy and helplessness. Ressentiment provides the psychological dynamics for much of Sargeson’s writing. This article traces the role of ressentiment in Sargeson’s works and assesses the extent to which it enhances or takes away from their quality

P2519: The Impact of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation on Quality of Life: A Mixed Methods Study

Objective: To provide an in-depth understanding of patients' views about the impact of transcatheter aortic valve implantation on self-reported quality of life. Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is considered to be the gold standard of care for inoperable patients diagnosed with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Mid- to long-term clinical outcomes are favourable and questionnaire data indicates improvements in quality of life but an in-depth understanding of how quality of life is altered by the intervention is missing. Methods: A mixed methods study design with a total of 89 in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with participants (39% male; mean age 81.7 years), 1 and 3 months post TAVI, recruited from a regional centre in England. Data were triangulated with questionnaire data (SF-36 and EQ5D-VAS) collected, pre, 1 and 3 months post implantation. Results: Participants' accounts were characterised by four key themes; shortened life, extended life, limited life and changed life. Quality of life was changed through two mechanisms. Most participants reported a reduced symptom burden and all explained that their life expectancy was improved. Questionnaire data supported interview data with gradual improvements in mean EQ-5D scores and SF-36 physical and mental domain scores at 1 and 3 months compared to baseline. Conclusion: Findings suggest that TAVI was of variable benefit, producing considerable improvements in either mental or physical health in many participants, while a smaller proportion continued to deteriorate