Society

Auckland_pride_parade_2016_9.jpg

While much has changed for the better, New Zealand now risks falling behind.

Two decades after decriminalisation, the stigma around sex work persists

COB-October-15.png

'Five words to describe my financial personality? Prudent, thoughtful and careful tightarse.'

The cost of being: A retired teacher who’s ‘secure but anxious’ about what lies ahead

Gabis-Feature-images-6.png

gabi-cover-story-4-png

Gabi-cover-story-4.png

Over 10,000 school students in New Zealand learn outside of school, but that doesn’t mean they’re always at home.

Goodbye to the classroom: Where and how home-educated students learn

Gabis-Feature-images-5.png

Knives strapped to soft toys, upside down circular saws and a bulletproof arena.

Hot new hobby alert: Robot fighting

CAPTCHA-opinion-ft-image.png

Correctly identifying traffic lights doesn't make you human – but feeling irritated by it just might.

I hate CAPTCHAs, the unnecessary ritual of having to prove you’re a human being

homeschooling-essay-1.png

Reflections on homeschooling, 15 years later.

What I learned (and didn’t learn) from four years of home education

HMH_FeatureImage-2.png

I'm sorry, but I can't stop apologising. 

Help me Hera: I’m so apologetic I’m annoying everyone around me

campbellfeature.jpg

John Campbell doesn’t solve a crime in his new series – instead he uncovers how long you can ask a question before someone finally listens to you.

Review: John Campbell, true crime and a taste of TVNZ’s new era

HMH_FeatureImage-1.png

Is there such a thing as too many moons? This Spinoff writer says yes.

I hate and repudiate our new ersatz, pretender moon

dunedin-flooding-feature-image-with-cloud.png

Last week's deluge wasn't as bad as it could have been – but hard decisions still lie ahead.

When the flood came for South Dunedin, this time it was ready

Gale Force Winds Hit Wellington

Normally ferries crash into at least one thing. This time it was different.

Breaking: Ferry crosses the Cook Strait without crashing into anything

Etiquette_swimming.png

Here's how to avoid being a pain in the arse while you're swimming. 

The Spinoff guide to life: How to swim in a public pool

COB-October-8-2.png

'Three words to describe my financial situation? Constantly on edge.'

The cost of being: A graduate with health issues who works for an NGO

Untitled-design-43-3.png

It's an improvised, dangerous response to prison overcrowding.

The problem with prison double bunking

claudia-mushin-2.jpg

'It obviously spoke to the children,' says the woman responsible for promoting fish and chips at breakfast, lunch and tea.

Meet the unsung icon behind the primary school hit ‘Fish and Chips’

Feature-image_mental-health.png

gabi-cover-story-3-2_tiny-png

Gabi-cover-story-3-2_tiny.png

With specialist mental health services in ‘chaos’, people who need help end up in destructive cycles and prison. Experts say there are solutions, but is political will and leadership lacking?

Prison or nothing: The ‘self-perpetuating downward spiral’ in New Zealand’s mental health system

FeatureImage_Essay_MissingMetal.png

An elder scolded me for my inability to speak Cantonese: 'You must learn.' My father heard my elder’s words and said nothing. My shame was as much his as it was mine.

Missing metal: On language and identity

Gabis-Feature-images-3.png

Less than a third of New Zealand households still have a landline telephone. Kids these days simply don't know what they're missing out on.

For the love of landlines

FeatureImage_HarbourBridgeCrossingIdeas.png

Some are simply terrible. Others are fanciful but fun. A couple are actually quite good – but there can only be one champion, and it might shock you.

All the Auckland harbour crossing ideas, ranked from worst to best

focusonfuels.png

Some very effective ways to reduce a huge chunk of your emissions often fly under the radar.

If you want to reduce your emissions, focus on your fuels

roty.jpg

'Running a restaurant – sometimes it feels like you’re running a charity for rich people.'

Five reflections on a part-reverent, part-riotous Metro Restaurant of the Year

FeatureImage_ConfusedElection.png

OK, there were a couple of winners if you looked really hard. 

The losers, losers and other losers in the one-year-on polling

construction-bulletin.jpg

But can Winston Peters win his cabinet colleagues over with his 'future fund'?

Coalition aligned on push to attract foreign investment

FeatureImage_Windbag_AirNZPlane_Red.png

How a debate about asset sales became a fascinating real-time case study in co-governance and what it means to uphold te Tiriti.

Windbag: The compelling, conflicting drama around Wellington Airport and te Tiriti

hed2.jpg

Rachel taps into Felix's passion for history as the means to inspire deeper engagement in his learning.

Home Education: Rachel and Felix

HRC-hires.png

Documents reveal Stephen Rainbow was appointed chief human rights commissioner despite failing to make the shortlist of candidates recommended by the hiring panel. 

Controversial human rights commissioners weren’t recommended by hiring panel

The ghosts of the 1981 Springbok Tour still haunt Auckland’s inner-suburb streets.

strong

I saw John Minto Header

The ghosts of the 1981 Springbok Tour still haunt Auckland's inner-suburb streets.

The Spinoff

SocietyAugust 4, 2018

I saw John Minto at the fish and chip shop

Loading...

SocietyAugust 4, 2018

I saw John Minto at the fish and chip shop

More Reading

Loading...