Browsing by Author "Tuffin K"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Constructing the drinker in talk about alcoholics
    (New Zealand Psychological Society, 2010) Macfarlane AD; Tuffin K
    Attitudes are one of the most commonly researched topics in social psychology, and attitudes toward alcoholics have been a popular interest area. The present study investigated such attitudes from within a social constructionist paradigm. Participants were interviewed about their views toward alcoholics and the transcribed recordings were analysed discursively to examine common constructions and evaluative practices. Three central discourses are discussed: a functional drinking discourse, where drinking was cast as normal social practice for functional drinkers; a dysfunctional people discourse, where alcoholics were formulated as qualitatively different from other drinkers; and a discourse of two dichotomous categories, in which alcoholics were concurrently constructed in terms of their heterogeneity. These discourses are discussed in terms of their construction and the tasks they performed, which include justifying intolerance and emphasising social differences. Particular attention is paid to how these practices were presented as 'fact' through the process of discursive construction.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Muslim and Gay: Seeking identity coherence in New Zealand
    (Taylor & Francis (Routledge), 2016) Tuffin K; Hopner V; Kahu ER
    The process of accepting oneself as gay and of ‘coming out’ to family and friends is well documented. For Muslim men, this is complicated by the tension between their emerging sexual identity and their religious and cultural birth identity, which labels homosexuality as sinful. This paper explores this process in a sample of five gay Muslim men living in New Zealand, a liberal secular society where homosexuality is widely accepted and gay rights are endorsed in legislation. Identity Process Theory drives the analysis, which identifies five themes encapsulating the process of striving for psychological coherence: resistance, acceptance, tension, renegotiation and pretence. Initial phases of denial and anger at their emerging sexuality are strongly linked to the conflict with their religious identity. Later, acceptance of their sexuality as natural and even God-given protects them from blame for their ‘sins’. In contrast to earlier work in the UK, for most men, renegotiation of their Muslim identity is adopted as the key strategy for achieving intrapsychic coherence. However, at an interpersonal level, families remain a source of conflict, temporarily resolved through pretence. Renegotiating religious identity leaves men having to pretend not just to be straight, but also to be strongly religious.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Representing Islam: Experiences of women wearing hijab in New Zealand
    (New Zealand Psychological Society Inc, 15/04/2019) Ash E; Tuffin K; Kahu E
    An increase in commentary on the hijab, or Muslim headscarf, in Western countries can be attributed to multiple factors, not least among them the current political discourse relating to Islamic terrorism (Green, 2015). Despite Islam being a rapidly expanding religion in New Zealand, there is a dearth of research pertaining to Muslims. Here we aim to understand the everyday experiences of hijabi women in New Zealand. Six women were interviewed, and the data were analysed using an interpretive phenomenological framework. Three themes were identified: explanations for wearing hijab, interpersonal experiences, and the responses to these interpersonal experiences. Research findings point to a complex interplay of individual and socio-cultural factors which influence the everyday experiences of hijabi women.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Young people’s reflections on their experiences of shared care and relationships with their parents
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2023-02-28) Merson T; Tuffin K; Pond R
    Objective: The present study examined young people’s reflections on their experiences of parental and child–parent relationships when raised in shared care with low inter-parental conflict, post-separation. Background: Shared care arrangements are becoming increasingly common. However, little research has been done about children and young people’s perspectives and experiences of it. Method: In-depth interviews of one to three hours were conducted with 12 young people who were living or had lived in shared care arrangements in New Zealand. Transcribed interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The themes identified from participants’ accounts pointed to the importance of each parent being committed to cultivating an emotionally positive relationship with their child in the context of an amicable, cooperative parenting alliance; and the requirement of parents and step-parents’ sensitivity and care when a parent re-partnered. Participants struggled emotionally when these were not achieved. It was evident that participants were sensitive about parental tension and apportioning time fairly. Conclusion: More attention needs to be given to supporting separating parents to achieve quality relationships with their child and a cordial, child-focused parenting alliance. Further qualitative research about children and young people’s experiences will be useful in confirming and extending these findings.