Counsellors in the gaze : a Foucauldian analysis of counsellors stories around being a counsellor : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

Over recent years there has been in increase in the number of rules and regulations pertaining to counselling in New Zealand. This project looks at the power relations constituted in those changes for a small group of counsellors. The social constructionist perspective is evaluated and found to provide a useful epistemological basis for this inquiry, when used in combination with a critical realist epistemology. This epistemological duality allows the objects under discussion to have different types of ontological status ranging from the socially constructed to the (more or less) real. An overview of the different styles of narrative analysis is presented and the conclusion reached that structural models of identifying and analysing narrative are not appropriate for working with fragmentary narratives. A model is presented for identification and analysis of fragmentary narratives based on content. Three narratives about being a counsellor are identified; the 'counsellor as double agent', the 'unsupported counsellor' and the 'unyielding counsellor'. The story of the counsellor as double agent is the story of a counsellor who may promote either training or relationship as having primary importance, depending on context. The story of the unsupported counsellor is the story about the lack of support of the relationship aspect of counselling outside of peer circles. The story of the unyielding counsellor is the story of the counsellor who would leave rather than compromise her values. These three narratives are presented as being co­ existent. Through analysis of these narratives the type of control practise constituted in the new rules and regulations is identified as being a type of 'sovereign ' or overt power practise. This characterisation of that power practise lends validity to subsequent discussions about resistance to the cultural change constituted in the new requirements. The power practices operating prior to the recent changes are identified as being 'disciplinary' or covert in nature. The conclusion is reached that the 'counsellor' represented by the text under analysis is not necessarily operating under normative regimes, and may at times adopt a deconstructive approach to the processes underlying construction of behaviour as 'problem'

ECONOMIC BARRIERS INHIBITING THE SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY OF STATE HOUSING: AN EASTERN CAPE PERSPECTIVE

Housing delivery within South Africa, and specifically the Eastern Cape, is constrained by a variety of pressing issues. Significant nation-wide barriers include fiscal decentralization, supply driven inefficiencies, non-sustainability and bureaucratic failure. More specific factors and trends are highlighted through juxtaposing the normative policy aims with two case study assessments of local municipalities. These various instances of politico-economic failure appear to be bypassed via social housing initiatives; however, theoretical and practical recommendations lend themselves towards the immediate renewal of the current housing program.Community/Rural/Urban Development,

A comparison of unsupervised classification procedures on LANDSAT MSS data for an area of complex surface conditions in Basilicata, Southern Italy

Two unsupervised classification procedures were applied to ratioed and unratioed LANDSAT multispectral scanner data of an area of spatially complex vegetation and terrain. An objective accuracy assessment was undertaken on each classification and comparison was made of the classification accuracies. The two unsupervised procedures use the same clustering algorithm. By on procedure the entire area is clustered and by the other a representative sample of the area is clustered and the resulting statistics are extrapolated to the remaining area using a maximum likelihood classifier. Explanation is given of the major steps in the classification procedures including image preprocessing; classification; interpretation of cluster classes; and accuracy assessment. Of the four classifications undertaken, the monocluster block approach on the unratioed data gave the highest accuracy of 80% for five coarse cover classes. This accuracy was increased to 84% by applying a 3 x 3 contextual filter to the classified image. A detailed description and partial explanation is provided for the major misclassification. The classification of the unratioed data produced higher percentage accuracies than for the ratioed data and the monocluster block approach gave higher accuracies than clustering the entire area. The moncluster block approach was additionally the most economical in terms of computing time

Exploring the Relationship between Membership Turnover and Productivity in Online Communities

One of the more disruptive reforms associated with the modern Internet is the emergence of online communities working together on knowledge artefacts such as Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap. Recently it has become clear that these initiatives are vulnerable because of problems with membership turnover. This study presents a longitudinal analysis of 891 WikiProjects where we model the impact of member turnover and social capital losses on project productivity. By examining social capital losses we attempt to provide a more nuanced analysis of member turnover. In this context social capital is modelled from a social network perspective where the loss of more central members has more impact. We find that only a small proportion of WikiProjects are in a relatively healthy state with low levels of membership turnover and social capital losses. The results show that the relationship between social capital losses and project performance is U-shaped, and that member withdrawal has significant negative effect on project outcomes. The results also support the mediation of turnover rate and network density on the curvilinear relationship

Anatomy of State Failure

Abstract In the 1990s, failed states emerged as a pernicious threat to both regional security and the wellbeing of millions of people worldwide. While this phenomenon has been welldocumented, explaining why and how states fail has proved to be a complex analytical task. As most scholars have viewed state failure as an anarchic and idiosyncratic occurrence, there has been little attempt to develop theoretical explanations for state failure. This study seeks to reverse this trend. In contrast to existing research, it contends that there was an underlying causal logic to all instances of state failure in the 1990s. To this end, it proposes an analytical model for understanding the causes and the process of state failure in general theoretical terms. There are two main components to this model. First, it claims that four common factors caused state failure in the 1990s: a flawed political structure; an economic crisis; a loss of state legitimacy; and systemic pressures. Second, it argues that the process of state failure represents a profound decrease in and decentralisation of state capital and coercive power. Through a comparative study of state failure in Zaïre, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia, the utility of this model as a theoretical tool for understanding why and how states fail is established.N/ADepartment of Government and International Relation

Anatomy of State Failure

Abstract In the 1990s, failed states emerged as a pernicious threat to both regional security and the wellbeing of millions of people worldwide. While this phenomenon has been welldocumented, explaining why and how states fail has proved to be a complex analytical task. As most scholars have viewed state failure as an anarchic and idiosyncratic occurrence, there has been little attempt to develop theoretical explanations for state failure. This study seeks to reverse this trend. In contrast to existing research, it contends that there was an underlying causal logic to all instances of state failure in the 1990s. To this end, it proposes an analytical model for understanding the causes and the process of state failure in general theoretical terms. There are two main components to this model. First, it claims that four common factors caused state failure in the 1990s: a flawed political structure; an economic crisis; a loss of state legitimacy; and systemic pressures. Second, it argues that the process of state failure represents a profound decrease in and decentralisation of state capital and coercive power. Through a comparative study of state failure in Zaïre, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia, the utility of this model as a theoretical tool for understanding why and how states fail is established.N/ADepartment of Government and International Relation

Diet, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and perceptions of the environment in young adults

Background Few studies have explored both food behaviour and physical activity in an environmental context. Most research in this area has focused on adults; the aim of the present study was to describe perceptions of the environment, diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns in 16–20 year olds in full-time education (Newcastle, UK). Methods Participants (n = 73) recruited from a college and sixth-form college completed a UK version of the Youth Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Survey, which included measures of sedentary behaviour. A validated food frequency questionnaire was completed and a factor applied to produce an estimated mean daily frequency of intake of each item, which was converted to nutrient intakes. A rank for Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) was assigned to their home postcode. Analysis explored associations between sedentary behaviours and nutrient intake. Results In this descriptive cross-sectional study, most participants reported being physically active for at least 1 h day−1 on 3–4 (n = 28) or 5–7 days (n = 31). There were no significant differences in nutrient intake according to sample quartile IMD position. Sedentary behaviours were significantly associated with less healthy eating patterns. Higher total energy (P = 0.02), higher fat (P = 0.005), percentage energy from fat (P = 0.035) and lower carbohydrate intakes (P = 0.004) were significantly associated with more time spent watching DVDs at the weekend. Conclusions This combination of sedentary behaviour and less healthy eating patterns has important implications for long-term health (e.g. the tracking of being overweight and obesity from adolescence into adulthood). Understanding behaviour relationships is an important step in developing interventions in this age group