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Conference
Papers & Presentations
N.
Taylor; G. Fitzgerald; N. Robertson; W. McClintock (2007). Labour market changes
and social capital: some
issues for social policy. Paper
prepared for the Social
Policy Research and Evaluation (SPRE) Conference, Wellington, 3-5 April, 2007.
This
paper reports on research into the contribution of multiple-job holders
to
social capital. The findings show there are differences in community
contribution between different occupational groups, sexes and age
groups for
the sectors surveyed. 2001 Census data reveal the importance
of voluntary
work across settlement types. Some occupations place
particular demands
on individuals. Despite making significant contributions to
their
communities, some workers, however, report that multiple job holding
hinders their
ability to contribute to their families and communities, raising the
possibility of a social capital paradox. Knowledge about people who are central to social
capital, and potential
constraints to their involvement, in particular for rural areas, has
implications for social cohesion and policy formulation in relation to
community based development and service delivery, and to participation
in local
area and major project planning. Download
N. Fitzgerald; G.
Fitzgerald (2007). Integrating social and bio-physical research. Paper presented to the MORST
Nanotechnology Symposium, Wellington, February, 2007. Download
presentation slides
G. Fitzgerald (2004).
Mäori
experiences, values and preferences in indigenous forest management in New Zealand. Paper presented to the 2004
International Symposium for Society and
Resource Management, Keystone, Colorado.
2-6 June, 2004.
Drawing on the results of a survey in 2002, this
paper shows that at the time, Mäori owners of forests granted under the
South Island Landless Natives Act (SILNA) had a clear preference for long term retention of the
natural forest values, along with a
need for improved livelihoods. They
saw the forest as potentially providing a stream of benefits through
sustainable management. A complementary 2003 survey of non-Mäori owners
of
indigenous forests showed a value orientation similar to Mäori owners, and also consistent with
long-term forest retention. The
results suggest that Mäori forest owner aspirations and needs are not inconsistent with current
Government policy and public
sentiment for the retention of native forest. However, the state needs
to become more responsive to calls to pay
for any public conservation interest in these forests, and in the case
of
Mäori, to remedy injustices resulting from curtailing the
owners' forest utilisation
rights and opportunities. Download
G.
Fitzgerald (2006). The
use of scenarios for assessing the impacts of hydro development
construction on
local communities. Paper
presented to the New Zealand Association
for Impact Assessment Annual Conference, Dunedin, 2006.
For
major projects, a significant number of the potential social impacts
arise from the construction workforce required. However, assessing the
potential social impacts of construction workforces for major projects
can be
complex and problematic due to the multitude of uncertainties involved.
This
paper outlines a scenario-based approach for such social impact assessment , with specific
reference to a proposed
hydroelectricity development of the Lower Waitaki river. Download
presentation slides
G.
Fitzgerald
(2006). The enduring rural community:
an endangered species. Keynote
presentation to the NZ Landcare Trust 10th Anniversary National
Seminar, Wellington, November 2006.
How
socially sustainable are New Zealand’s rural
communities? This question
is addressed
through an examination of key dimensions
of social sustainability, in particular, the availability of social
capital and human capital,
using data from the NZ Census of Population and Dwellings. Download
presentation slides
G.
Fitzgerald; N. Fitzgerald (2005). Capacity Building. A
presentation and workshop for voluntary sector youth workers,
Christchurch , 2005. (Sponsored by the Wayne Francis Trust.)
This
presentation reviews the concept of capacity and capacity building,
examines
the notion of resources and capabilities, outlines approaches to
capacity
development, especially in community organisations, and suggests a
process for
capacity assessment and development. Download presentation
slides
N.
Taylor; G. Fitzgerald; W. McClintock (2004). Social assessment of
hydro-electricity development: lessons from the New Zealand experience. Paper
prepared for the Annual Meeting of the International Association for
Impact
Assessment, Vancouver, 26-29 June 2004.
New
hydro electricity generation projects in New Zealand and elsewhere
are meeting increasing competition
for water resources from irrigation, urban use, tourism, conservation
and
recreation, and they are being challenged over the disruption they
cause to
existing communities. There is therefore increasing need for project
decision
making to be informed by
social assessments. Research on a series of New Zealand
hydroelectricity projects shows that
changes in the population and economy of new hydro towns and existing
host
settlements involve periods of both rapid growth and rapid decline, as
the area
moves through phases of the arrival, settlement and the eventual
departure of
the construction workers and their dependants. Unlike other communities
that
are economically dependent on a single industry, the main workforce
impacts of hydro
projects occur during construction. The subsequent operation of the
power
schemes involves relatively small workforces
which are
not always located at the same site as the construction workers. Social
assessments therefore need to pay particular attention to construction
workforce characteristics, labour supply, accommodation requirements
and demand
for social services. Download
G.
Fitzgerald; N. Taylor;
W. McClintock. (2002). The
impacts of resource sector restructuring on occupational and community
identity. Paper presented to IAIA ’02, the
Annual
Meeting of the International Association for Impact Assessment, Den
Haag, The
Netherlands, 17-21 June.
This
paper examines the longer-term social impacts of resource sector
restructuring in rural New Zealand. Ongoing
research has focussed on changes in the inter-relationships between
work, business ownership and transfer, and community change. Of
particular
interest is the transformation of work by new technology and management
practices, with implications for occupational identity and community
life.
Individual and family work histories obtained from interviews are used
to identity and describe the changing nature of work in natural
resource based production and processing industries. Individual
experiences are
analysed in the context of community change through community case
studies. Of
particular interest are changes in the way skills are developed and
transferred
by individuals and groups through families and community structures to
reinforce occupational and community identity. The results show that
industry restructuring, economic diversification and increased
individual and
occupational mobility have weakened occupational and community
identity. These
results will interest agencies, industry groups, training
organisations, and
facilitators of community based development,
who attempt
a strategic approach to social and economic change. Download
G. Fitzgerald; N. Devoe. (2004). Conservation, cost and
income: New
Zealand farmers’ values in
forest management. Paper
presented to the New Institute of Foresters’
Conference, Queenstown, 2004.
A
postal
survey of 1,435 farm owners with 50 ha or more of indigenous forest was
conducted in June-August 2002. Thirty-eight percent of farmers
responded.
Collectively they owned approximately 92,000 ha of forest. By far the
most
important uses of their forests were non-consumptive; that is, as a
home for
bird life, forest protection for the benefit of future generations,
aesthetic qualities, and erosion control.
Environmental benefits ranked first in terms of farmers’ forest
management
goals, followed by economic, social and cultural benefits. Farmers
believed
that environmental values and benefits should be the highest priority
for the management
of indigenous forest on private land in New Zealand.
Asked to indicate how they would
respond to a theoretical commercial proposal for sustainable
harvesting, only a
third said they
would go with the proposal, while almost half
chose continued reservation of their forests. Only 28% received any
income from
their indigenous forests, while 42% reported direct outlay associated
with
forests. Eighteen percent had some long –term protection arrangements
for their
forests, and 93% had conducted pest animal control. The results of this
survey
compared with a more localised survey 10 years earlier suggest a shift
in
farmers’ values for forests away from the utilitarian and
toward a more naturalistic appreciation. Download
G. Fitzgerald (2000).
Qualitative
Data analysis in social impact assessment. Paper
presented to IAIA ’00, the Annual Meeting of the International
Association for
Impact Assessment, Hong Kong,
2000
This paper
addresses one of the recurrent issues in social impact assessment
practise: how
to handle and process the often large quantities of qualitative data
gathered
in the course of the various phases or stages of an impact
assessment?
[This
paper was subsequently published as “Computer-based
qualitative data methods” in Becker, H.A. and Vanclay, F
(2003):The International Handbook of Social Impact Assessment:
conceptual
and Methodological Advances. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar.)
N Taylor; C. Goodrich; G.
Fitzgerald;
W. McClintock (2000). The value of longitudinal research as a basis of subsequent social imp[act assessment. Paper prepared for the International Associationfor Impact Assessment 20th Annual Meeting, Hong Kong, 19-23 June 2000.
Comparative analysis for the projection of effects is an integral part of the social impact assessment
process. Comparative case studies using systematic social research
therefore have an important role to play in SIA. This paper examines
the importance of experiential and comparative research that develops
both an empirical data base and conceptual frameworks for SIA. An
example of longitudinal research into community formation and change in
New Zealand resource communities is presented. Models of the SIA
process as both a source and user of comparative cases are discussed. Download pdf
N Taylor; G.
Fitzgerald;
W. McClintock. (1999). Resource
community formation and change in New Zealand. Paper
presented to The International Symposium for Society and resource
Management, 1999, Brisbane, Australia.
NZ
research into resource community formation and change shows that there
has been
substantial social and economic change in the study communities over
the last
20 years. Populations generally have fallen, with losses of key
community
people. Changes in technology and the organisation of work, including
subcontracting and shift work, have greatly increased labour
productivity while
reducing employment overall. Substantial industry restructuring has
also added
to job loss, coinciding with restructuring and centralisation in social
services and other sectors. Low cost housing has attracted newcomers,
often
characterised by low social-economic status, higher proportions of
Maori
people, more social and cultural diversity, and reduced community
cohesion.
Communities are also less clearly defined spatially by small
localities. The
research has strengthened the model of resource cycles in communities,
adding
an understanding of the interconnections between sectors at local and
sub
regional levels. It shows few rural communities in New Zealand
are dependent on a single
resource sector. The work provides a stronger conceptual and empirical
basis
for social assessment and resource planning in New Zealand,
especially in communities that depend directly on the primary
production or processing of natural resources. Download pdf
R. Wilkinson;
G.Fitzgerald (1999). Public perception of pests in New Zealand: essential
information for moving forward. Paper
presented to Manaaki Whenua Conference, Te Papa, Wellington,
April 1999
Pest
control is
a public issue, and many members of the public want a say in how New Zealand
makes
decisions about pest control and what methods are used for control. The
public's
perception of pests and their control is thus important information for
anyone officially
involved in making those decisions. To best assist in the development
of new
pest control technologies, research on public perceptions needs to be
conducted
early in the development stages of the technology. This allows those
developing
the technology to take account of public issues and concerns before the
technology is so fixed that it cannot be modified. Such an approach
will be
important for the successful public deployment of New Zealand's
likely next major advance in
pest control: fertility control of possums. Based on
qualitative
and quantitative research conducted by the authors, we know
that the public generally
accepts that possums are a pest that needs controlling, but that
possums are
also regarded as sentient beings that deserve to be treated humanely.
Fertility
control is the most publicly acceptable form of biological control of
possums,
and biological control is more acceptable than poisoning. We do not
know what
lies behind people's concerns about biological controls, what they
would regard
as a safe or unsafe technology, and what they see might be the balance
of
dangers and benefits of biological control. This knowledge will become
increasingly important in understanding the acceptability or
unacceptability of
specific possum control technologies as they are developed and become
available. Download
G.
Fitzgerald
(1999). The application of social
science research to problems of energy sustainability in New Zealand. Paper Presented to Royal Society
Seminar “Forging Links: Social and Environmental Sustainability
& Social
Science Research”, Wellington,
5 August 1999
Whether
we
or our leaders like it or not, energy sustainability is on the
international
and New Zealand’s
agenda. Furthermore, energy
efficiency and sustainability is one of the main environmental issues
facing
the country. However moving towards increased energy sustainability
will
present a major challenge to New Zealanders. This paper presents some
of the
keys issues, and outlines some examples of how social science research
is
currently helping to answer the key questions of: how we
currently use energy; what needs to change to bring about
increased
sustainability; how can we bring about
such change; and what is stopping us
from developing technologies, and adopting existing technologies, which
are cleaner,
more efficient, and sustainable? Download
J.
Baines;
G. Fitzgerald; J. Gough; G. Ryan; I. Sanders (1998). Impediments to the
Uptake
of New and Emerging Energy. Technologies. Paper presented to the 1998
IPENZ
Conference.
This paper
outlines research commissioned by the Foundation for Research Science
&
Technology to identify impediments to the uptake of new and emerging
energy
technologies in New Zealand (NEETS). The aim of the research was to
explicitly
draw a diverse range of perspectives and perceptions into an integrated
soft-systems
framework. This framework includes both supply and demand energy
options for all
types of energy. It incorporates engineering, economic and other
social,
cultural and infrastructural factors. Download
G.
Fitzgerald; I. Sanders, I (1998). Electricity demand management
potential in the New Zealand
domestic sector.
Paper
presented to the ‘Solar 98’ International Conference on Solar Energy,
University of Canterbury,
Christchurch, New Zealand
The aim of
this study was to assess, in advance, the potential success of a range
of
domestic electricity demand management strategies. Using a sample
survey of 413
households, the study identified which types of incentive or
education would be required among domestic electricity consumers to
modify
their demand for domestic electricity services, the energy
technologies/products/services they used, and the time of their
use/energy
usage. The results
show that householders have a predisposition to achieving improved
energy conservation or efficiency and that there is a
market for domestic electricity efficiency improvements and
conservation. It is
crucial however, that the strategies adopted for improving energy
conservation fulfil specific customer
requirements for information regarding the
technologies/products/services
involved. The research findings have important implications for
designing
energy efficiency and management strategies for the residential
sector. Download
R.
Wilkinson; G.Fitzgerald (1996). Public issues in the biological control
of rabbits in New Zealand.
Paper
presented
to the Agri-Food Research Network conference, Monash University,
Melbourne, 4-5 July
1996.
Published
in: Burch,D; Lawrence,
G,
Rickson, R.E; and Goss,J. (1998). Australasian Food and
Farming in a
Globalised Economy: Recent Developments and Future Prospects.
Monash Publications
in Geography No.50, Department of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Victoria.
R. Wilkinson; H.
Bezar; G. Fitzgerald; D. Macer. (1996). Perceptions are reality: New
Zealanders' perceptions of biological hazards.
Published
in Money & Morals; mad cows and mutants. Are they
worth the risk?.
Proceedings of a conference,
Sydney,
September, 1996 Download
G.
Ryan; G. Fitzgerald (1995). A strategy for implementing demand side
management for
domestic electricity in New Zealand. Paper
presented to the IPENZ Annual Conference, 1995
This
paper
outlines a long term research strategy for investigating demand side
management
(DSM) options for improving domestic electricity usage in New Zealand.
The first part of the investigation
is exploratory in that household electricity consumption is monitored
at a
number of different levels (appliance, total household and feeder
station). A
questionnaire is also administered to the households that are being
monitored
to gather data on their social and physical characteristics. Multiple
regression
analysis is then used to determine the key factors influencing
electricity
demand. Once these factors are understood a model of electricity demand
can be
developed and tested on new sets of data. The understanding of
electricity
consumption patterns from this work will be used to develop DSM options
that reflect
New Zealand’s
unique
electricity consumption patterns. The end results will
be accurate information on the most effective methods for controlling
domestic
electricity demand in New Zealand. Download
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