The Big Q
Questions - Ideas - Scholarship - DebatesProject for Public Interest Media
Politics & Society
Why is housing so unaffordable?
New Zealand is the second most overvalued housing market in the world, with Auckland its most unaffordable city, writes Dr. Michael Rehm.
Q+A: What is going on in Hong Kong?
The movement in Hong Kong is now entering its fourteenth week. So, what are the causes of the protests, and what are the stakes for China and the world?
Q+A: To give or not to give? The problem of political party donations
Scrutiny surrounding foreign political donations have flared again after revelations that the New Zealand National party received $150,000 as a gift from Chinese Billionaire Lang Lin.
Q+A: Why do so few people vote in local elections?
Local government elections in New Zealand are fast approaching, but participation in local democracy has been declining for several years. The problem is particularly bad in Auckland where turnout was under forty percent during the last elections in 2016. Lachlan Balfour spoke with Janine Hayward about low turnout in local body elections.
Q+A: Why does the government remove Māori babies from their family?
In recent months, Oranga Tamariki (the Ministry for Children) has faced widespread criticism for its often-traumatising practice of ‘uplifts’, whereby newborn babies are taken from their mothers into state care. What has been causing the recent spike in uplifts?
Why isn’t my professor Pasifika or Māori?
The number of Māori and Pasifika students attending New Zealand universities has been increasing steadily, but for many of these students, they will not be taught by Māori or Pasifika throughout their degree.
Science & Technology
Why is cannabis use declining among young people? 🔊
New research from the University of Otago has revealed that cannabis use is in decline among young people in New Zealand. The research showed that between 2001 and 2012 lifetime use of the drug among teenagers dropped from 38% to 23%.
Sink or swim: How are low-lying Pacific islands adapting to climate change?
Low-lying Pacific islands in atoll archipelagos such as Tuvalu, Tokelau and Kiribati are likely to adapt to the effects of climate change rather than simply sink beneath the waves.
Q+A: Eating the Past: What are the biophysical limits to New Zealand’s future?
What are the biophysical limits to New Zealand’s food and energy future? Mike Joy says people need to do a lot less of what they are doing now if New Zealand is to have a sustainable future.
How do we measure pain, anyway?
How do we measure pain, anyway? Jeremy Delahanty investigates.
Q+A: Are we living in a climate of ignorance?
Are we living in a climate of ignorance when it comes to discussing climate change? Joel Rindelaub seems to think so.
Q+A: Do gender categories in elite sport need changing?
New research has been undertaken by a group of Otago University professors who suggest that it is time that existing gender categories in sport be abandoned in favour of a more ‘nuanced’ approach when it comes to the inclusion of transgender athletes.
Business & Economics
Why is housing so unaffordable?
New Zealand is the second most overvalued housing market in the world, with Auckland its most unaffordable city, writes Dr. Michael Rehm.
Spotify killed the CD star: How has streaming impacted the music industry?
Sam Smith explores how the growth in music streaming has impacted the music industry.
Is the University of Auckland becoming more sustainable?
Over the past few decades Auckland University has been monitoring their carbon emissions and rates of sustainability to reduce the environmental impact of both the university and New Zealand. Has it been working?
Q+A: Boom or bust: What is the state of housing in New Zealand?
New Zealand is enduring a housing crisis. The chance of buying a home is out of reach for many, while at the same time rents remain high. Gautami Sithambaram spoke with Dr. Campbell Jones about the state of housing in New Zealand and what initiatives young people can take to get into the property market.
Q+A: What will a post-Brexit Britain look like?
What does the election of Johnson mean for Brexit and a polarized British public? What is the future of the British economy? What will the UK look like in 2024?
Q+A: Is New Zealand ready to go carbon zero?
In New Zealand, recent policy plans by the government show the first steps towards zero-carbon emissions. Oil and gas exploration has been banned although with controversial stipulations, while a zero-carbon bill is currently going through parliament which proposes putting a price on carbon. Is New Zealand ready to go zero carbon?
Arts & Culture
Spotify killed the CD star: How has streaming impacted the music industry?
Sam Smith explores how the growth in music streaming has impacted the music industry.
Memes, manifestos, murder: fascist radicalisation online, and how we can stop it ▶
In a talk given at the University of Auckland, Emmi Bevensee talks about her doctoral research into fascist radicalisation online.
Remapping the order of knowing: The idea of ‘Latin America’ revisited ▶
Is ‘Latin America’ part of ‘the West’? Why ask this question and what do these terms mean for understanding the world today? In this lecture, Professor Walter Mignolo will ask what role the Americas played in forming the colonial matrix of power, introduced by Spain and Portugal in the 16th century.
Taking issue: is social media good or bad for democracy?
We asked three academics to address the question of whether social media is democratising or eroding democracy.
The gospel of kindness: Animal welfare and the making of modern America ▶
Janet Davis talks about the historical and political significance of animal welfare advocacy and the profound challenges of global animal protection.
Black Lives Matter, Otherwise all lives do not matter ▶
In a lecture given at the University of Auckland, Professor Onwubiko Agozino attempts to demonstrates the theory that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. By treating Black Lives as if they do not Matter, the lives of human beings everywhere are threatened and so all should rally in support of Black Lives in the interest of humanity.