
Exploring women’s experiences of entering, working in, or leaving the Christchurch construction industry between 2010 and 2018 led to the creation of the theory of “deferential tailoring.” Deferential tailoring explains how women shape their responses to industry conditions as an intentional behavioural adjustment process. Most importantly, this theory provides insight into women’s unseen efforts to build positive workplace relationships, their capability to advance, and challenges to existing views of gender roles in this context. Research on women in construction focusses primarily on identifying and explaining barriers that impact on women’s entry, progression, and retention in the industry. There is an absence of process studies that explain the actions women take to manage industry conditions in business-as-usual, let alone post-disaster contexts. In the eight years following the 2010 Canterbury (New Zealand) earthquakes, rapid changes to the construction industry meant women had unprecedented access and new opportunities in this historically male-dominated domain. This setting provided a unique context within which to investigate how women respond to industry opportunities and challenges. The aim of this interpretive research was to construct a response theory, particular to women working in the Christchurch construction industry. Applying a constructivist grounded theory approach, theoretical sampling, coding and memo writing allowed for the collection and comparative analysis of 36 semi-structured interviews conducted with women working in a cross-section of industry occupations. Three inter- related categories were built: capitalising on opportunity, building capability and token tolerance, which together constitute the deferential tailoring process. Akin to building an invisible glass scaffold, women intentionally regulate their behaviours to successfully seize opportunities and manage social challenges. In building this scaffold, women draw heavily on personal values and positive, proactive attributes as a response to industry conditions. In contrast to previous research, which suggests that women conform to the male-dominated norms of the industry, the theory of deferential tailoring proposes that women are prepared to regulate their behaviour to address the gendered norms that impact on their work experiences. This research contributes towards an evolving body of knowledge that aims to understand how women’s entry into the construction industry, retention, and workplace relationships can be improved. By expanding the view of how women respond to industry conditions over time, this research has generated knowledge that addresses gaps in construction industry literature relating to the management of coping strategies, capitalising on opportunities, and building positive workplace relationships. Knowledge and concepts generated from this research could be integrated into recruitment and training programmes to enhance women’s professional development, shift perceptions of women’s work, and address cultural norms that impact on women’s retention in the construction industry.
Damage to Wave House on Gloucester Street (Winnie Bagoes Pizza Bar). The roof and left side of the building have collapsed and crumbled into the street, crushing several cars. Emergency personnel have spray painted two of the cars with the word "Clear" to indicate they have been checked for trapped or injured people. The scene has been cordoned off by New Zealand Fire Service tape.
A damaged brick building on Tuam Street. Bricks have fallen from the wall exposing the interior, where a wooden structure can be seen to have collapsed. The photographer comments, "This is the damage caused by the numerous earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. It closely resembles a face and the round blob in the square hole at the top of the nose is a pigeon".
Despite a hasty retreat from its iconic building in Christchurch's Square following the February earthquake, 'The Press', is in celebration mode. It's 150 years since the paper began with a six page edition that sold for six pence. It's first pages warned of the crippling cost of a new tunnel and rail line connecting Lyttelton to Christchurch, and on the back, a for sale ad for 100,000 gorse plants! Deb Nation finds the paper celebrated their centenary 50 years earlier, with memories of pigeon post and paper boys.
In the hours after the February 2011 Canterbury earthquake, Chessie Henry's father Chris Henry, a Kaikoura-based doctor, crawled into makeshift tunnels in the collapsed CTV building to rescue the living and look for the dead. Six years later, Chessie interviewed Chris in an attempt to understand the trauma that lead her father to burnout. In her book just published, We Can Make A Life: A memoir of family, earthquakes and courage, Chessie Henry considers the psychological cost of heroism and unravels stories and memories from her family history.
Its budget may have blown out by almost a third more than the original figure, but this weekend the doors to the Christchurch Town Hall will re-open for the first time since the 2011 earthquakes. It was touch and go whether the 47 year-old building would even be repaired after the 6.2 quake eight years ago today. 167-million-dollars later and the city is finally getting its town hall back. Conan Young was allowed inside for a sneak peak ahead of Saturday's official opening.
The company running the restoration of Christchurch's Anglican Cathedral is confident it will be able to raise the extra $51 million still needed to finish the job, and says potential large donors are already being approached here and overseas. The building has sat derelict since the 2011 earthquake and now the cost to fix it has soared from an original estimate of $104 million to $154 million. Some Cantabrians are finding the price hard to justify. The director of the restoration project Keith Paterson speaks to Corin Dann.
A video of a press conference with Anglican Bishop Victoria Matthews and Dean Peter Beck, about the interim plans for the earthquake-damaged ChristChurch Cathedral. In the press conference Matthews announces that the Cathedral will be deconsecrated, that parts of it will be demolished, and that the rest will be made safe. These measures will allow the recovery of artefacts and heritage items from the building.
A video of a public forum being held to discuss the Anglican Church's three options for the restoration of the ChristChurch Cathedral. The three options are restoring the original cathedral, reinterpreting the original cathedral in modern materials, or building a contemporary cathedral. The video includes footage of speeches by Bishop Victoria Matthews and RCP project manager Marcus Read. It also includes footage of Matthews, Read, and Warren and Mahoney architect Bill Gregory answering questions from the public.
A video about the Christchurch City Council housing complex on Conference Street in the Christchurch central city. The housing complex was unoccupied after the 22 February 2011 earthquake despite the housing shortage. Christchurch City Council said that the vacant units could not be lived in because of structural damage or damage to services. However, the building has been checked by structural engineers and many of the rooms have been deemed safe to occupy.
A video of a helicopter using a monsoon bucket to wash loose debris off a cliff in Redcliffs. The debris is from an earthquake-damaged building on the edge of the cliff which has had to be urgently demolished after wet weather and aftershocks made it unstable. The video also includes an interview with Brenden Winder, Red Zone Cordon and Access Manager at CERA, about the removal of the debris and the need to check other properties.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to the Cycle Trading store on Manchester Street. The gable of the store has collapsed, and bricks and other rubble have fallen onto the footpath in front. A car parked on the street has been crushed by the fallen rubble. The word "Clear" has been spray-painted on the front of the car. Wire fencing has been placed around the building as a cordon.
An aerial photograph of the Christchurch city central. The photograph is captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Provincial Council Chambers in the middle, with Brannigans on the lower left, the Central Library lower middle and the Farmers car park on the lower right".
A man reads a sign posted on the door of the Christchurch Art Gallery, which reads "The gallery is currently closed to the public". The photographer comments, "Red Carded - A red-coloured card shown by a referee to a player, especially in soccer, to indicate that the player is being ejected from the pitch. The Christchurch Art Gallery has left the building. All the current and future exhibitions of the Art Gallery are being mainly held out of doors".
A photograph of the earthquake damage to the Iconic Bar and the former Christchurch City Council offices on Manchester Street. The outer walls of the Council offices and the top storey of Iconic have collapsed, exposing the insides of the buildings. The bricks and other rubble have been cleared from the footpath in front. USAR codes have been spray-painted next to the entrance of Iconic.
Damaged workshops in the Red Bus depot on Fitzgerald Avenue. The brick walls have partially crumbled. In the background is the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, with its dome partly deconstructed. The photographer comments, "This photo was taken recently on Fitzgerald Avenue. Again, it's amazing how close you can get to buildings that look like they are about to collapse. In the background, you can see that work has begun to remove the dome on top of the damaged Cathedral of he Blessed Sacrament".
Shoppers and tourists outside the Simply New Zealand shop in the Re:Start mall. The photographer comments, "The new temporary city mall has been open in Christchurch now for a week. Buildings damaged in the earthquake have been demolished and replaced with cargo containers to create a new, temporary, Cashel Mall. I visited the mall yesterday and was quite impressed with what they have done. The cargo containers have been nicely converted, brightly painted and smartly branded to create some good looking stores".
A sign above the 3 Wise Men shop in the Re:Start mall, reading "Re:Start, supported by ASB". The photographer comments, "The new temporary city mall has been open in Christchurch now for a week. Buildings damaged in the earthquake have been demolished and replaced with cargo containers to create a new, temporary, Cashel Mall. I visited the mall yesterday and was quite impressed with what they have done. The cargo containers have been nicely converted, brightly painted and smartly branded to create some good looking stores".
Shoppers and tourists in the Re:Start mall, seen from upstairs in one of the cafes. The photographer comments, "The new temporary city mall has been open in Christchurch now for a week. Buildings damaged in the earthquake have been demolished and replaced with cargo containers to create a new, temporary, Cashel Mall. I visited the mall yesterday and was quite impressed with what they have done. The cargo containers have been nicely converted, brightly painted and smartly branded to create some good looking stores".
A photograph of the earthquake damage to the Iconic bar on the corner of Manchester and Gloucester Streets. Large sections of the outer walls have collapsed, the bricks and masonry spilling onto the footpath below, crushing several cars. USAR codes have been spray-painted near the door and a red sticker has been taped above. The red sticker indicates that the building is unsafe to enter.
A black and white photograph of a sign reading "A tidy standard of dress is required." In the foreground is a pile of building rubble. The photographer comments, "I reversed this picture in the interests of my followers as it was harder to read the right way round. The wrecking crew did not wear ties, but they did look neat in their orange vests".
A photograph of artworks on the wall of a building between New Brighton Mall and Beresford Street. The artwork in the middle depicts a range of native birds. To the left, a section of another artwork shows a hei matau and a jester holding a sign that reads, "Nothing about us without us!". To the right there is a landscape with a message written over it.
A video of a tour of the historic Canterbury Club building on Cambridge Terrace. The club will reopen on 9 June 2012, after an intensive rebuild and restoration process which has fixed the damage from the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The video also includes an interview with Dr Brent Stanley, the Canterbury Club President. Stanley talks about the strengthening work that was done in 2009, as well as the history of the club.
A video of an interview with Prime Minister John Key about several topical issues. One of these issues is the housing crisis in Christchurch. Key talks about fast tracking the release of land in Christchurch, making sure there are enough resources in the city for building, and working with the Christchurch City Council around consenting. He also talks about the possibility of the National Party winning the Christchurch East by-election.
A photograph of a member of the Wellington Emergency Management Office Emergency Response Team climbing a ladder up the back of a house on Gloucester Street. The ladder has been placed against the house so that the ERT members can enter the building through the open window. To the right a section of the house next door has collapsed and the bricks have spilled onto the shed below.
A photograph of artworks on the wall of a building between New Brighton Mall and Beresford Street. The artwork in the middle depicts a range of native birds. To the left, a section of another artwork shows a hei matau and a jester holding a sign that reads, "Nothing about us without us!". To the right there is a landscape with a message written over it.
Damaged workshops in the Red Bus depot on Fitzgerald Avenue. The brick walls have partially crumbled. In the background is the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, with its dome partly deconstructed. The photographer comments, "This photo was taken recently on Fitzgerald Avenue. Again, it's amazing how close you can get to buildings that look like they are about to collapse. In the background, you can see that work has begun to remove the dome on top of the damaged Cathedral of he Blessed Sacrament".
A video of interviews with members of the public about which option they prefer for the restoration of the ChristChurch Cathedral. The options considered are those unveiled by the Anglican Church: the restoration option which would restore the current cathedral; the traditional option which would reinterpret the original cathedral in modern materials; and the contemporary option which would create a new building featuring a lightweight timber frame, more glazing, and modern interiors.
A photograph of a map used by emergency management personnel to inspect buildings after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The map is of central Christchurch. Almost all of the blocks outside four streets (Moorhouse Avenue, Oxford Terrace, Kilmore Street, and Barbadoes Street) have been highlighted in yellow. Latimer Square has also been highlighted. A message written at the top of the map reads, "Query pile checked by dogs".
A video of an interview with Tom Thomson, Managing Director of Elastomer Products, about the experiences of businesses in the aftermath of the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. Thomson talks about the importance of focussing on people, diversifying infrastructure, and informing customers after the earthquakes. He also talks about the need for businesses to understand their insurance policies and to have building and service fall-back plans. This video is part of a series about businesses in Christchurch after the earthquakes.