Social Practice Dissertations and Theses
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Item The effectiveness of the Incredible Years parenting programme for Tongan parents(2021) Ngaluafe, Nafetalai Loloma; Unitec Institute of TechnologyRESEARCH QUESTIONS What were the participants’ experiences of being parented/parenting growing up in Tonga and here in New Zealand? What are the experiences of Tongan parents participating in Tongan and mainstream Incredible Years parenting courses? What are the ways of improving the effectiveness of the Incredible Years parenting course for Tongan parents? ABSTRACT There is a dearth of literature and research about the effectiveness of parenting programmes for Pacific people here in New Zealand and in the Islands. The use of physical punishment by Tongan parents as a core disciplinary practice is concerning. As a result, the parents who migrate from Tonga with their Tongan way of parenting to a country like New Zealand are challenged by New Zealand beliefs about parenting and laws prohibiting the physical punishment of children. For this study, I wanted to see if the Incredible Years parenting programme completed by Tongan parents can be effective in helping them find alternatives to physical punishment and other forms of punishment. This study used talanoa methodology with 15 participants from the Auckland region – young parents, middle-aged parents and grandparents. Eleven of the participants were born in Tonga and four were New-Zealand-born. This thesis aims to explore the participants’ experiences of parenting and being parented growing up in Tonga and New Zealand. The overall focus of this study was the effectiveness of the Incredible Years parenting programme for the participants who attended the Tongan and mainstream Incredible Years parenting programmes. Moreover, this study aims to suggest some other ways of improving the effectiveness of the Incredible Years parenting programme for Tongan parents. A thematic analysis of the data was used to identify the reality of the participants’ experiences. The key themes were the tension between the traditional Tongan way of parenting, with its high level of community support, and the challenges of New Zealand environment and the anti-smacking law; the experiences of the participants as children and parents with regard to punishment, bonding and the changing roles of parenting; participants’ perspectives on the value and outcomes of the Incredible Years parenting programme and challenges of integrating the programme and anga fakatonga (the Tongan way). The findings highlight that Tongan parents struggled with the critique of the use of punishment as this was often seen as the way of ensuring respect for the status of the Tongan way of doing things and respect for Tongan culture. However, the high value of the Incredible Years parenting programme was acknowledged by participants in that there were positive parenting tools that could enhance cultural identity and status. Tongan traditions such as kali loa (a metaphor for a bedtime process of storytelling and sharing) that could be embedded in future Incredible Years programmes for Tongan parents. The implications for future adjustment of the Incredible Years parenting with a Tongan cultural framework are discussed.Item An exploration of the factors that lead to the successful employment of people with intellectual disabilities(2019) Mufanechiya, Tendai; Unitec Institute of TechnologyEmployment is an important aspect of being a participating and valued member of the community. The term social inclusion is commonly used to describe the need to incorporate people with intellectual disabilities in different facets of the community, including employment. This research examines how six people with intellectual disabilities (ID), who are supported by IDEA Services Ltd in South East Auckland, with shared similarities, have fared differently in mainstream employment. Three of the people were successful in obtaining and keeping jobs, while the other three were unsuccessful. A strength-based approach is used to demonstrate the fact that, given the right environment and support, there could be a possibility of more people with intellectual disabilities succeeding in the mainstream employment sector. Literature shows how different models have been used historically, in working to gain employment for people with ID and how currently there are some models, both internationally and nationally, which appear to be working well. The concept of social role valorisation (SRV) as an aspect of normalization is taken into consideration when looking at inclusion with ID, from the historical perspective. Though it has its limitations, SRV is important in that it emphasizes the fact that people with ID should not stand out, but be given as much opportunity as possible, to participate as the rest of the members of society who do not have a disability. It also stresses the importance of training people with disability, to give them skills that help them to fit into the community. An important aspect from literature is how the social model plays a vital role for people with intellectual disabilities in getting and keeping jobs. Two international and one local successful model are used as examples of what has been done to give people with ID a chance in the employment sector. There are specific characteristics that the models possess, which have made them successful in helping the people to obtain and maintain employment. However, possibly both internationally and locally, there is more that needs to be done to get more people with ID into employment. The transformative emancipatory paradigm as part of the methodology, takes centre stage in this research because of its focus on social justice. A mixed methods approach is used, which includes a focus group and semi structured interviews, which are qualitative. At the same time, it makes use of a quantitative survey assessment. The focus group is made up of the six participants with ID, while the semi-structured interviews encompassed the support network of the people with intellectual disabilities, including the employers. The main tool for quantitative data collection was the Supported Independent Living Assessment adapted from Australia and adjusted to suit the New Zealand context. Government policies, including international conventions like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability and IDEA Services policies are also examined in terms oftheir role in the employment of people with intellectual disabilities. A non-random, purposive quota sampling method was used to select the participants with intellectual disabilities. This gave an opportunity to acquire an information rich sample, which was diverse enough to give the research validity. The study shows how the three people with intellectual disabilities have been able to obtain and keep jobs. It examines the environmental factors and the personal attributes of the people, and the role these have played in their success in the employment sector. On the other hand, it also examines the possible causes for the other group of three participants with ID not being able to have the same kind of success. The role each factor has had on those who have been successful and those who have not, is examined to see how it may be replicated for the successful cases or enhanced for those who have not been successful. In addition to that, the personal characteristics of the participants from the two groups are also examined to see the role they play in their success or lack of success.Item Moments, meaning and metaphor : self-reflections of a psychic life coach & social practitioner(2018) Goodliffe, Rosamund; Unitec Institute of TechnologyRESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1. How does reflective-practice journaling inform my practice? 2. How can reflective analysis before, during and after psychic life coaching consultations enhance a coach’s practice? This self-reflective study explores my own practice as a psychic life coach. The overarching research approach was reflective practice and insights were gained through reflective journaling. A template of questions was designed to trigger reflection and observation, to gain an understanding of the processes and actions of a psychic life coach’s practice. The data generated from the questions provided material for analysis from the perspective of before, during and after sessions with clients. The subsequent analysis of data led to discussion, review, and recommendations for further professional development. The observations gained in this process were for me, engaging, at times surprising, and deeply revealing. This study has enabled me to appreciate the value of reflective practice as a methodological approach. I have undertaken an enquiry which has realized rich benefits for my profession and opened the way for other practitioners to engage this approach to apply it to their own practice. I achieved an understanding that reflective practice is a revealing and very worthwhile method of professional development which extends beyond that of crisis intervention or as a tool for staff management. It facilitates an enriching and valuable approach to professional growth which has afforded me a greater understanding of practice, identified areas of potential change and growth and charged me afresh with inspirational momentum.Item Assessing perceived well-being and safety of a Lao rural community in Nakai, Khammouane province as a result of completed unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance and risk education activities(2015) Chanthavong, Thongkham; Unitec Institute of TechnologyRESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1. What are the significant changes as a consequence of the UXO operational intervention in Nakai in relation to the well-being and safety of residents and social, economic, and developmental conditions before the risk education and UXO clearance? 2. What was the effect on the well-being and safety of residents and social, economic, and developmental conditions as a result of risk education and UXO clearance? 3. How could the process of the risk education and UXO clearance have been improved for other villages in the future? Unexploded Ordnances (UXO) left over from the Second Indochina War (SIW) between 1964 and 1973 still haunt the lives of those in affected communities by restricting access to agricultural land, and impeding the socio-economic and basic developmental status of the countries affected including Laos. However, in the last two decades, cooperation among governments and their development partners both locally and internationally to tackle the UXO issues has seen the decline in UXO casualties and improvements in a number of ways. This study endeavours to assess the perceived well-being and safety of a Lao rural community in a village in Nakai district, Khammouane province, following a completed Unexploded Ordnance clearance and risk education activities. Through exploring the livelihoods and current living conditions of the villagers, the study sought to find out whether the UXO operations carried out by commercial operators about five years ago have made significant changes. The field study was carried out in Laos from mid June to mid July 2014. A qualitative approach was used in this research study and semi-structured interviews were employed for the primary data collection with 11 voluntary participants. The data obtained were analysed through the use of thematic analysis. The research findings of this study revealed that UXO operations conducted by commercial operators have had great impact on the respondents‘ general well-being and safety. Essentially, the research showed that respondents could access agricultural land without the fear of hitting UXO. As a result, they have had safe land for generating farming products including rice, vegetables, and cash crops on which they rely. Moreover, UXO operations have produced pathways for a number of fundamental infrastructure systems to be established including the construction of road, a school, a healthcare centre, and a water supply system. Together, these components contribute to improving the living standards of the villagers The findings revealed that since the introduction of the UXO operations, there have not been any UXO-related accidents, neither in the village nor in the entire community of 17 villages in Nakai Plateau. However, the findings also revealed that a minority of the research respondents still come across some UXOs on the post-cleared land and they still appear to have touched and moved the UXOs found. These incidents suggest that the UXO operations including clearance and risk education (RE) carried out by the commercial companies needs to be improved and assessed by concerned organisations.Item The effectiveness of the Ōrongomai Marae community reintegration programme led by ex‐prisoners in Aotearoa / New Zealand(2018) Bullen, Joy Rangi; Unitec Institute of TechnologyThe aims and questions within the project are to assess the effectiveness of the Ōrongomai Marae community reintegration programme led by ex‐prisoners in Aotearoa New Zealand. The researcher has worked with prisoners in education, mentoring and social work roles over a number of years. This included the beginnings of reintegration, utilising teams from Department of Corrections and communities in the early 2000s. The reintegration programme currently at Ōrongomai Marae was written by the researcher in 2003, piloted for Ministry of Social Development in 2004 and has been consistently funded from that time. The area of re‐integration within Aotearoa, New Zealand is under‐researched with most programmes being modelled on British or American models, neither of which have an indigenous commitment to the reintegration. The value and benefit we hope to assess is that culture must be taken into account particularly indigenous identity and that key workers are those who have completed a reintegration journey themselves. The researcher is currently a full-time Social Work Kaiako employed by Te Wananga o Aotearoa upon the Certificate of Social Services and Bachelor of Social Work Degree, both of which are Bi‐Culturalism in Practise and is a qualified Social Worker registered to the Social Work Registration Board (S.W.R.B.).