Blog post 9- the final farewell

Introduction

Communication in the Sciences has challenged me in many ways, on a personal level as well as academically. Had I not been put into this paper I would have missed an opportunity to be able to practise what I have learnt over the past three years in my Anthropological studies. I was confident with the group component of this paper, as I enjoy interacting with and getting to know different people. I was happy to adopt the leadership role, although as many of my team mates have mentioned, I was a relaxed leader, more of a co-ordinator which probably reflects my life outside of my studies as I am a co-ordinator of many groups and events in my community. This cross-over between my ‘outside life’ suited my work in this paper and this group so I didn’t feel daunted but felt I had a very capable group of people to work with which is why I could ‘relax’ as I trusted their skill and commitment.

Start-up processes

Our team formed through my putting a call out on the stream site and my fellow team members responding. I was initially thinking I should incorporate team members in my geographical location but after hearing the tutor’s advice I joined with the first four who replied. I started the face book page for our online discussion to take place and we agreed to chat via skype. Our first meeting was a little hazy, five strangers in different parts of the country and not knowing anything about each other proved a little nerve wracking at first but we soon got down to business and got to know each others character and background.

Leadership

While I did step forward as leader, I believe several of my team members could have been leader. As I started the ball rolling, with setting up ways for us to converse and opening the drop box and face book page, I assumed this role early on without really being too aware of it. I was fine to be leader but didn’t mind if I wasn’t. The most important thing to me was that everyone else was happy for me to be leader which is why at our first skype meeting I made sure everyone agreed and although Michelle was absent I told the group that we would have to make sure Michelle is happy first.

I know as my other team mates point out I was a co-ordinator rather than a shaper. This seemed okay as my team were all highly capable and talented individuals. I don’t believe a shaper position would have suited my team, in fact it may have produced negative results. I was as much a team worker as a co-ordinator as I was concerned about the social aspect of my team, if everyone was happy and felt okay. In one instance, I used my instincts and commonsense when a team member was concerned about their tasks and not having adequate assignment of jobs. This person didn’t state outright but I approached them privately following a skype conversation to discuss possible options and preferences and I’m  glad that I did, as this member ended up having many hidden talents that I wasn’t aware of in the beginning such as being a professional editor.

I definitely assumed a Laissez-Faire relaxed type of leadership although I made sure we were on task, this may have frustrated a few of my team members but I had every belief in their abilities and didn’t feel I needed to hound or be overbearing. I think I balanced the social and task focuses and knew my weaknesses, unsuitable for a completer-finisher role but I had two amazing highly talented completer-finishes aboard my team. I think I had as much concern for people as I had for the task as I knew if people weren’t happy our full potential would not be met so I felt like an encourager, praising, listening and facilitating as well as motivating- a situational leadership style.

Team roles

Michelle was a terrific resource manager and completer finisher, with her eye for detail and functional role as an editor she was astute and looked at the fine detail in our group report. Marina assumed a monitor evaluator type role and an implementer, although I didn’t realise at the time Marina was very characteristic in this role as monitor evaluator, I mentioned several times to Marina that she was the critical eye of the group, she thought critically around organ donation euthanasia and prodded us out of our preconceptions both morally and ethically on the topic. Once Marina felt assured in her topic and that she was taking the right direction she provided a wonderful analysis of her subject, after initially being hesitant of her contribution and asking me to check it over first, I found a thorough analysis in her portion of the report. I felt I provided encouragement and reassurance to Marina even though she didn’t really need it as her work was terrific.

Alicia was a constant, reliable team member, always there in the background ready to take on a job such as setting up the survey. Alicia was a great implementer and completer finisher always happy to get on with the task at hand and get the work done. Michelle was our completer finisher, resource investigator extraordinaire. For example Michelle, didn’t feel in the beginning that she had enough work or roles so she took it upon herself to assume the ethical framework role as well as the co-editor with Alicia. I initially suggested Michelle handle all of the survey tasks but looking back I’m so happy Michelle stepped forward and assumed these roles especially with her functional background. Michelle was very task focussed and could have stepped forward as a fellow co-ordinator I believe.

Floyd mentioned he felt a little lost at one point and I feel this is a weakness of mine, as a Laissez-faire type of co-ordinator I probably didn’t direct enough or provide enough guidance, although Floyd was juggling a huge workload in his life he was a terrific team worker and implementer and also could have been a great co-ordinator. Floyd also stepped up to jobs such as graphing and collating all of the survey material and in a mad rush at the end I asked for his help with the minutes as we didn’t have a formal ‘secretary’. Floyd was happy to take on this task and produced terrific material.

I put myself forward as a researcher and co-ordinator after discussion on our topics and feeling cultural aspects were important to us and our project. I’m not sure how feasible this was looking back but I felt the leader role wasn’t enough work or contribution from myself. I have learnt a great deal about myself and my strengths and weaknesses and hope to apply these in my life. I’m incredibly proud of our team and what we produced, maintaining all of our deadlines, in fact handing things in early. The thing I’m most proud of is that we didn’t have one quarrel or argument the whole time which is pretty good for a group of five strangers with an incredible amount of pressure and stress on each of us. We all respect each other and I believe are pretty good friends now, we were just disappointed we couldn’t get together for a celebration at the end!

Strengths and weaknesses

Although I tried to help set a timeline and deadlines these were only roughly outlined so a bit more attention to structure and detail wouldn’t have gone amiss on my part. We managed to get everything done but maybe a bit of pressure could have been taken off a few members if more rigid structure was in place. Our strength was our reliability, commitment, resourcefulness, respect, belief and trust in each other and mature way of approaching the tasks. We had a great humorous aspect in our team, encouraged by Floyd which I think is also a strength as it broke the ice and cemented our friendship. I think we had frustrations with sorting through the information required for the tasks and I note many times where I told the group I would double check things with the tutor which I believe my team mates did as well.

To conclude, it has been an absolute pleasure being part of such a great team with the quality of work produced. Who would have known I was a co-ordinator with a theory y, laissez-faire type of role- I didn’t before I started this course! I can not say thank you enough to the amazing people in my team who pulled together so well, through frustrations and personal dilemmas to get through this huge task on organ donation and provide a critical analysis of the subject. I have learnt that I need to be more assertive in my directing. I wish everyone all the best and am sad to say good bye.

Past experiences of public speaking – the good, the bad, and the ugly:

Well I definitely had a crash course in public speaking in 2016 during running in local body elections.

The good: 

The good part was putting across ideas that maybe didn't sit comfortably with some audiences but things I saw as a reality and something to be addressed in my region.

Meeting and standing against a varied group of candidates, young, old, Maori, European with varied backgrounds and life experiences.

Gaining confidence in my public speaking in front of diverse audiences.

The bad:

Nerves, of course.

The ugly: 

Having a momentary lapse of thought in the middle of a candidate speech.

One older candidate apologizing for mixing up his speech notes for a banana cake recipe (true story).

Running for council gave me an extraordinary amount of practice in public speaking of which I hadn't done very much of before, it threw me in the deep end and made me look inwards at myself and what I value in my region, what strengths and weaknesses i see and where improvements can be made.
It was a great exercise in self-growth, forcing me out of my comfort zone and really learning a lot about my region and the challenges that will be faced in the future. From water security issues, economic development initiatives, rail, iwi collaboration, homelessness, beggars, wetlands trials, swimming pool developments. The list goes on and on. Constant email queries and questions of my opinion on many issues with a short time span to research and answer.

Building all of the knowledge gained into my public speaking and speaking the truth were key features of my speech making. Not a typical politician, i saw myself more as a community servant to help push for better systems and practices.

Will I do it again in the next round? probably not as I will be on a different track after finishing my studies. It will be remembered as a time of learning and a great experience as the youngest regional candidate.

Blog #7

I have decided to write about the approaching culmination of finishing my degree, i know we are meant to write about a related science/ technology related topic but i'm going to link this into the humanities/ social science arena.

The best things about the last three years of distance studies for me is 1. I didn't think I could do academic studies, after going to art school which was really hands on and will always be my first passion and painting for twelve years full time, I decided I needed to branch out and extend myself. I found it challenging navigating the online learning environment to begin with and getting my head around the work load was challenging but after taking the introductory Social Anthropology paper I fell in love with the subject.

I have always had an interest in cultures and peoples, especially indigenous and human rights aspects, along this course i have found some new loves- that of environmental factors, social relationships, power and have been able to make sense of the world a little more with theorists like Bourdieu and others.

My art has taken me to the outback of Australia and other places where i have seen and heard stories first hand and lived experiences. My studies I think will compliment my art and vice versa. My ultimate goal would to be working for an NGO, preferable in the Pacific in the development arena, Samoa would be terrific due to the time i have already spent there and my historical roots.

I would love to to post-grad study, just figuring out the mechanics of that is the hardest part, but development studies Masters would be a dream for me to be able to do. So i have the practical aspects which join nicely with research and theoretical dimensions of Anthropology.

I'm happy that i'm finally finding my direction, where i can incorporate both of my passions. I dont want to bore anyone so since our next assignment is more focused on visual presentation i'll leave you with some visual images.

Thanks for being a great team and look forward to our next assignment :-)

Blog 6

Leadership in teams – your preferences. What kind of leader do you prefer to work for and what kind of leader would you prefer to be?

As the team leader it is hard analyzing what kind of leader i want to work for. I guess i would want a leader that can keep me on track with what is expected of me. I know the importance of a good leader who can communicate well but also provide some flexibility and understanding of each persons role in the team and understand strengths and weaknesses.
I would want to work for a leader who is not over-dominating and lets me explore my creativity but provides enough guidance to keep me up to pace and clear on what is expected of me. It is kind of hard thinking about what kind of leader i want, as i am myself the leader but thinking about this helps me to be reflexive and think about improvements i can make.
I feel like a relaxed but organised leader, someone who likes to know everything that's going on but not too dominating and has some flexibility. I guess i may be a bit too relaxed in my leadership style, but in saying that i don't want to stifle anyone being able to express themselves, although i can always improve. Organisation is a huge part for me, making sure things are on track so becoming unwell this week definitely shook me a bit. A leader needs to be on the ball and thinking ahead to the final product and how all of the pieces fit together as well as balancing different characters and views.
I take any feedback constructively and it has been good having some feedback on my leadership role. I value the dynamics at play in our group and the mature, intelligent individuals who i am learning more and more about each day.

 

Blog 5

Past experiences of working in a group...

As i write this i'm busy researching my topic for assignment two on the importance of cultural aspects in decision making surrounding organ donation. I'm also busy writing a feminist biographical paper and a sociological essay on ethnicity and race as a biological construct, creating differences and divisions specifically at representation of minorities in New Zealand politics.

My brain has never been so full.

My previous work with groups was mainly concentrated in one paper- Visual anthropology, a paper which challenged me and which i also really enjoyed. We had to look at famine cross culturally, especially focusing in on the Bengali famine and we had to work as a group to create a prezi with individual components as well as our own personal prezi. Much like this assignment albeit a bit less challenging than this one.

I think naturally i step forward to lead projects, i'm unsure as to why i think i just enjoy organizing and hopefully can assist in helping things run smoothly. Due to the ethical dimensions of the assignment this is a really challenging task as every individual has different values and beliefs surrounding organ donation and surrounding issues. Which brings me to my main focus of cultural relativism. I think this has helped my being able to work in a group and lead a group as the process of being able to see from 'other's perspectives is very important. Viewing in a culturally relativistic way is ultimately putting your own values and biases aside in which you have been enculturated to believe and view not in an ethnocentric way but from the perspective of the other.

This is an important tool in the Anthropological toolkit which i am constantly practicing and trying to get better at and which i fell is a valuable tool for any person in this world to acquire.

Some other main elements of Anthopology are being reflexive, using comparitivism across cultures to compare meanings and find similarities and differences, holism among many others.

Which brings me to a Medical Anthropology paper i took. Foucault was one of the main thinkers looking at the biomedical domain in his well known book 'the birth of the clinic'- An archaeology of medical perception. He discusses the 'medical  gaze'- the disconnect between the physician and the patient as an individual and the revolution of medical science in the eighteenth century with medical knowledge taking on a new precision and rules of classification. And the basis of the biomedical domain to social and cultural attitudes in particular the french revolution.

The historical socio-cultural basis of the biomedical domain has reproduced over time and has remained very eurocentric in many ways. Looking at cultural dimensions in relation to biomedicine and traditional beliefs it is apparent that the two don't mix very well.  I recall from another Anthropology paper 'systems of healing' that the hospital setting doesn't combine well with cultural needs and one case of a shaman being allowed in to a hospital in the United States to perform a prayer request on behalf of a patient was a relatively rare occurrence.

So i guess what i am trying to say is i enjoy working in a group as it challenges my learning and helps me to practice the tools i have learnt in which i have been basically been studying for the last three years- humanity, beliefs, power and social institutions.

Foucault, M. (1973). The Birth of the Clinic; An archaeology of Medical Perception, United states of America, Tavistock Publications Limited.

Blog 4

What i find most interesting about my topic is the lack of consideration and research done in the mainstream public health system and culturally appropriate ways of dealing with the subject of organ donation/ transplantation in Maoridom. Many assumptions and stereotypes were evident which really made me question the whole biomedical system of healing and it's symbolic functions.

Following a previous paper looking at biomedicine versus Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and other alternative medicines as well as a paper on ritual and beliefs sparked my sociological brain off again on another tangent.

I explored the idea of the mechanization of the biomedical domain and organ transplant as 'rite of passage'. In fact patients have reported the whole experience as feeling 'born again' or 'reborn'.

The mechanical setting of the hospital, the ritual of patients dressing in deindividualized clothing/ gowns, cleansing rituals, vital signs being taken to a death-like state. This really hits home the ritualistic function of organ transplants in biomedicine and it's domination/ power over alternative healing systems.
It seems so impersonal. Which is where the sanitized aspect comes into play and which is probably why i was so shocked by the lack of cultural awareness in many of the readings i found.

In many ways the biomedical model views the body as an organic system of replaceable parts a bit like a car. Maori worldview is in complete opposite to this view and once i started to delve into it there is so much more to learn and experience in regard to tapu aspects and how the Maori health and well being framework is so at variance with the World health organisations conception of health and well being. No wonder so many Maori have had negative experiences in the healthcare system?

I could go on and on but maybe i will leave that for another day...

Maori organ donation rates; cultural integrity versus life chances

Blog # 3

Cultural relativism involves viewing from the perspective of participants, not judging from your own values and standards. These two articles have a juxtaposition of views, one from the perspective of Maori viewpoints and the other from an outsiders perspective. The article by Maskill & Morrell states under the ‘cultural issues’ subheading that “Maori and Pacific Islanders appear to be less willing to be organ and tissue donors, but the degree of this unwillingness and the reasons for it remain unclear” (Maskill & Morrell, 1991, p.9).

Thinking reflexively, the term ‘cultural issues’ implies a negative association, that culture, beliefs and tradition is a hindrance to improving donor statistics. I believe the wording of this statement is erroneous, possibly ‘cultural beliefs surrounding organ donation’ would be a better heading. Also stating that ‘the reasons are largely unknown’ or that ‘Maori are less willing to be donors’ without considering cultural aspects and background is also lacking.

Comparatively, the reading by Webb & Shaw (2011) is much more balanced in its view and the appropriate research has been done into the logistics around Maori worldview, interviewing respondents and gaining an insight into Maori perceptions of organ donation. “Assumptions that Maori do not typically donate organs for transplantation due to cultural and spiritual reasons abound in the New Zealand media. These claims tend to be based on common sense notions of a monolithic Maori world view that does not necessarily reflect empirical evidence” (Webb & Shaw, 2011, p.40). 

So in fact many patients of Maori background are willing organ donors or recipients but the holistic view of their beliefs and shared understandings have not been taken sufficiently into account. “Whakapapa literally means ‘to place in layers’, and can refer to genealogy that provides a link between past generations, to the present and the future, the body is more than just a physical entity or objectified attribute of the individual’s self” (Webb & Shaw, 2011, p.43). Some staff noted in Maskill & Morrell that they had observed that Maori and Pacific peoples are never or only occasionally asked for organs.

As noted above, for some interview participants, but not all, their experiences of donation had spiritual significance, or were related to cultural wellbeing. For wellbeing, several participants mentioned using karakia before and after transplantation.

One interviewee of Maori descent noted:

“I think for Maori in particular for transplantation is that, I think they deserve… in my experience I think that was what was carrying me through was that was my only hesitation. If anyone could guarantee me that my whole cultural wellbeing was going to remain intact, I don’t think I would have had so much angst before. And I think that’s a huge one. So I think there’s still a lot to be done in addressing all those [issues]”. (Webb & Shaw, p.52)

I believe the Webb & Shaw article that takes into account Maori interviewees perspectives and Maori worldview gives a more accurate description of the motivations and reasons behind perceptions surrounding organ donation among Maori as its author is of a Sociological and Social Anthropology background. The latter article published by the department of Health is severely lacking in cultural perspective and ethics and does not represent Maori worldview or reasons for response to organ donation and presents quite a skewed view from my perspective from inadequate research.

Maskill, C., & Morrell, V. (1991). Donating organs in New Zealand; a review of the national register, Wellington, Department of Health.

Webb, R., & Shaw, R. (2011). Whanau, whakapapa and identity in experiences of organ donation and transplantation, Otago, Sites: new series, Vol 8. No. 1, Journal of Social Anthropology and Cultural studies, retrieved from:  https://sites-otago-ac-        nz.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/Sites/article/view/154/165