Diagnosis is more than the medical process of identifying an illness. It’s a social agreement about what counts as disease and a storytelling tool to make sense of dysfunction.
Jennifer Curtin, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Jacinda Ardern is officially no longer an MP. But her novel leadership style probably saved the Labour Party from much longer in the political wilderness.
Lisa Marriott, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
New Zealand came very close to having an independent sentencing council to help set sentencing guidelines for crimes. For the sake of consistency, it might be time to revive the idea.
Innovative materials and modular buildings offer New Zealand a way to build back better after Cyclone Gabrielle. But to do this, we need to develop the framework to support the new approach.
Dairy farming in New Zealand has intensified by using more supplementary feed. While this boosts production, costs also rise and this ultimately cuts profits - and it adds more harm to the climate.
The issue of ‘carbon leakage’ is used to argue against domestic pricing policy that could reduce agricultural production. But New Zealand farmers could benefit if competing countries also take action.
From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, more unionised workforces from Europe to Aotearoa New Zealand fought hard to keep wages abreast with inflation. But it’s unlikely that could happen now.
Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Building offshore wind farms is complex and expensive. But with plenty of wind coming in from the sea, New Zealand could harness the renewable resource as it aims to decarbonise the energy sector.
The deportation of children during war goes to the heart of important and far-reaching human rights conventions. But bringing perpetrators to justice will be a long and complex process.
Recovery efforts in regions hit by Cyclone Gabrielle need to ensure support and care is provided to pregnant mums to prevent life-long consequences for babies in-utero.
As she prepares to deliver of her valedictory statement to parliament, Jacinda Ardern will be remembered as an outstanding prime minister – though perhaps not for reasons of her own choosing.
Breaking the cycle of poverty for future generations requires talking about it with children now, and helping them understand the causes of economic inequality.
So-called ‘limbic capitalism’ uses social media to target the brain’s reward centres. In the process it escalates health threats to the most vulnerable consumers.
Timothy Welch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The original plans for Auckland’s harbour bridge included tolled cycle lanes. A version of that is a better plan than the second crossing options now on offer.
School holidays can trigger feelings of dread in working parents. But so-called COPE strategies can help individuals and organisations make the process easier on everyone.
Tara McAllister, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Cate Macinnis-Ng, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Dan C H Hikuroa, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
One key difference between kaitiakitanga and conservation is that the former considers people as part of the environment, while the latter manages nature as if people were separate from it.
Sierra Keung, Auckland University of Technology and Dion Enari, Auckland University of Technology
By choosing to play for their ancestral homes, Pacific footballers might lose the chance of bigger pay checks, but they still win at a cultural level. And the payoff for the game is immense.
Many people with long COVID experience persistent debilitating symptoms like fatigue and brain fog. But a few develop more life-threatening and lasting damage to their heart and brain.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University