Geographical Sciences

Abstract The" New Zealand experiment" is gaining international notoriety, simultaneously lauded by the Right and decried by the Left as an extreme example of neoliberalism and economic restructuring. The last decade has seen a dramatic shift from Keynesian welfarism to neoliberalism as the basis for state policies, and the transformation of a highly protected domestic economy into an open" network economy" oriented towards the economic flows of the Pacific Rim.

Abstract The term''neo-liberalism''denotes new forms of political-economic governance premised on the extension of market relationships. In critical social science literatures, the term has usurped labels referring to specific political projects (Thatcherism, Regeanomics, Rogernomics), and is more widely

Introduction In discussions of neoliberalism, the “New Zealand Experiment” of the 1980s and 1990s is often seen as a paradigmatic case. 1 It was an early, and, to a certain extent, exemplary instance of the move towards new understandings of economy and society. International attention focused on this country not only because of the depth and speed of the reforms instituted by successive governments since 1984, but also because this case appeared to involve the direct application of a clearly delineated theoretical model.

In recent years there has been an increased interest among social scientists in issues of standards and attempts at standardization in all aspects of economic, political and social life. Once regarded as technical issues of concern primarily to specialists (see Barry, 2001, p. 63), standardization is now viewed as a legitimate site of social scientific study.

Abstract This paper reflects on the early stages of a Foundation for Research, Science and Technology social research project aimed at identifying the overall range, scope and effectiveness of local partnerships (including Mäori and Pacific partnerships), both at a national level and in Waitakere and Christchurch cities.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, as elsewhere, partnership programmes overtly targeted to the strengthening of local communities are developing in a range of institutional sites. This development, it is claimed by some, moves social governance well beyond the narrow, market-oriented, contractualism of earlier forms of neoliberalism, and into a new era of joined up, inclusive governance.

Abstract This paper arises out of research on the New Zealand designer fashion industry. An unexpected success story, this export-oriented industry is dominated by women as designers, employees, wholesale and public relations agents, industry officials, fashion writers and editors, in addition to women holding more traditionally gendered roles as garment workers, tastemakers and consumers.

It is a clear fact of contemporary geo-politics that not all communities are equally well connected into the new globalising economy. As inequalities have become more pronounced, poverty has manifested itself most conspicuously in pockets of exclusion, where links into broader structures of opportunity are not easily made or sustained (Dreier et al 2001). In Aotearoa New Zealand poverty is also strongly racialised, disproportionately affecting Maori and Pacific communities (Larner 1996).