China’s influence, Auckland’s superdiversity, philosophical issues in health and science research, the right to sex and intimacy for rest home residents – these are just a few of the sizzling topics in this year’s Our Changing World public lectures by Massey University humanities and social science scholars at Massey University’s Auckland campus in Albany
Exploring, analysing and understanding complex and compelling issues is where philosophers, sociologists, historians, linguists and other arts scholars shine. Massey’s public lecture series, now in its third consecutive year at the Auckland campus, aims to take a closer look at a diverse range of fascinating topics of interest to the wider public, offering fresh perspectives and food for thought.
The series, hosted by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, kicks off in March with a talk by Dr David Belgrave – a lecturer in citizenship and politics – on New Zealand’s policy towards China. His talk, Watching China’s Rise: Past, Present and Future Options for New Zealand, will provide some historical context to the New Zealand-China relationship and look at policy challenges for the future, he says.
French language and literature specialist Dr France Grenaudier-Klijn will discuss how the holocaust of World War II continues to haunt French society and culture in her talk: Ghosts of the Holocaust in contemporary French fiction. She will focus on four recent French novels, examining the aesthetics and ethical dilemmas their authors had to negotiate in their confrontation with such history.
Philosophers will tackle controversial issues mid-year, with Dr John Matthewson sharing insights on populations in science research and applications. He will explore how science applications and funding gets targeted to particular groups, moving from philosophical analysis through scientific methodology to ultimately consider practical outcomes.
Philosopher Dr Vanessa Shouten explores the taboo topic of sex for rest home residents. “A residential care home is exactly what it says on the tin – a home,” she says. “In our homes we expect to be able to enjoy a private life, including enjoying sex and intimacy with people of our choosing. But a residential care home is also a workplace, and it is the job of care workers to ensure the safety, security and most importantly the dignity of those under their care.
“The result is that residents and care workers have some difficult issues to navigate together. How can care workers ensure that residents get the privacy and support they need to continue engaging in sex and intimacy if they wish, including relationships old and new, masturbation, or pornography consumption, while ensuring the safety of the resident? What about residents with dementia – should they be simply prevented from engaging in any type of sex or intimacy?
“These are difficult questions, but if we think that older New Zealanders deserve to be able to continue engaging in the kinds of sexual and intimate activities that they enjoy as they move into residential care, we need to address them.”
Historian Dr Amanda McVitty takes the audience back to medieval Europe to consider the earliest voices of protest in politics. She will discuss how and why the voices of the people emerged “as a formidable and unpredictable force in medieval politics”, and explore the strategies ordinary men and women used to protest injustice, defy corrupt leaders, and demand change.
Back to the future and closer to home, historian and author Dr Geoff Watson considers the world of sport in New Zealand and why it is so important to many in our nation, in his talk: Continuity or Change? Sport in New Zealand Society c. 1840-2019.
The series concludes in November with renowned demographer Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, discussing the latest trends in Auckland’s fast-growing population in his talk “Superdiverse Auckland: A New City Emerges.”
These and other topics will be listed on Massey’s website, with the option to register to attend.
Convenor Dr Damien Rogers, a politics lecturer in the School of People, Environment and Planning, says: “These days, the world around us seems more complex than ever before. For some, humanity is on a precipice, tearing itself apart in some regions of the world as a global ecological crisis appears ever closer on our shared horizon. For others, we live in an era of unparalleled opportunity and unsurpassed prosperity. How are we to make sense of it all?
“We offer these lectures free to the public to better connect with our local communities and to fulfil, in part, our cherished role as critic and conscience of society. We hope these lectures will inform, and perhaps even transform, the way in which people think about a broad range of fascinating topics.”
Doors open at 6pm. Lecture 6.30-7.30pm.
Round Room, Atrium Building, Albany campus, Massey University
Free parking
