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A Major Left Wing Think Tank in Aotearoa—An Impossible Dream Or a Call to Action?

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A Major Left Wing Think Tank in Aotearoa—An Impossible Dream Or a Call to Action? A major left wing think tank in Aotearoa—an impossible dream or a call to action? Sue Bradford A thesis submitted to Auckland University of Technology in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2014 Institute of Public Policy Abstract Despite the worldwide proliferation of think tanks since the 1970s and the development of a small number of think tanks locally, no substantial left wing think tank exists in Aotearoa. This research was driven by my desire to find out why no such entity had ever emerged and whether the state of the left in 2010–2013 provided fertile ground (or otherwise) for such an initiative. Working definitions of the terms ‘left’ and ‘think tank’ were developed specifically for the purposes of the thesis. The research paradigm guiding the study is an emergent form of critical inquiry methodology called political activist ethnography. Reflexivity is a key component of this approach, and I am transparent in bringing my experiences, beliefs and bias to the research table. Data was collected from individual semi-structured interviews with 51 left academics and activists and from a methodically maintained research journal. Nine international left think tanks and seven community-based think tank-like organisations in New Zealand were examined for what any future think tank implementation project might usefully learn from their experiences. The study is significant as it is the first piece of academic research ever undertaken into issues around the absence of a major left wing think tank in Aotearoa. It is also a rare and reasonably comprehensive look by the left at itself at a specific point in time. The stories of the community-based organisations outlined here start to fill a gap in the community and voluntary sector’s knowledge of its own history. The thesis also appears to mark the first time political activist ethnography has been used at doctoral level in New Zealand, and adds to the growing body of literature about activist ethnographies and social movement knowledge production internationally. Many ideas for possible future research are offered. Key findings from the study are that while the New Zealand left was fragmented and weak in 2010–2013, the ground for developing one or more major left wing think tanks was fertile. The challenges to any implementation projects were substantial, including the pervasive issue of funding. The thesis concluded that the idea of developing one or more major left wing think tanks is indeed a call to action rather than an impossible dream. ii Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................... ii Attestation of Authorship ............................................................................................ vii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... viii 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 Purpose of the research ............................................................................................................ 2 The research questions ......................................................................................................... 2 Methodology and methods ................................................................................................... 3 Personal background ................................................................................................................ 4 Assumptions underpinning the study ....................................................................................... 5 Clarifying three key concepts .................................................................................................. 6 Clarifying historical and geographical scope and the ethnographic field ................................ 8 Further scoping decisions ...................................................................................................... 10 Think tanks in New Zealand .............................................................................................. 10 Think tanks in the Pacific region ....................................................................................... 10 Left activist use of online media ........................................................................................ 10 Left theory .......................................................................................................................... 10 Some definitions .................................................................................................................... 11 Activism ............................................................................................................................. 11 Intersectionality.................................................................................................................. 11 Neoliberalism ..................................................................................................................... 11 Public policy ...................................................................................................................... 12 Social movement ................................................................................................................ 12 Te Reo Māori ......................................................................................................................... 12 Significance of study .............................................................................................................. 12 Think tanks......................................................................................................................... 12 State of the left ................................................................................................................... 13 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 13 Structure of the rest of the thesis ............................................................................................ 14 2. Literature review: Left and think tank contextualised ..................................... 15 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 15 Defining ‘left’ ........................................................................................................................ 15 Transformational and reformist: A necessary distinction .................................................. 18 Think tanks............................................................................................................................. 19 Defining ‘think tank’ .......................................................................................................... 21 Left wing think tanks: An international perspective .............................................................. 22 Australia ............................................................................................................................. 24 Canada ............................................................................................................................... 28 iii United Kingdom................................................................................................................. 32 Scotland ............................................................................................................................. 35 Germany ............................................................................................................................. 37 Think tanks in New Zealand .................................................................................................. 38 Left wing think tanks in Aotearoa: A lacuna ..................................................................... 39 The activist left in New Zealand 2010–2013 ......................................................................... 41 Summary ................................................................................................................................ 44 3. Methodology and methods ................................................................................... 46 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 46 Philosophical assumptions and research paradigm: Critical inquiry ..................................... 46 Research methodology: A form of political activist ethnography (PAE) .............................. 48 History and origins ............................................................................................................. 48 Political activist ethnography ............................................................................................. 49 Political activist ethnography: Application to this study ................................................... 51 Methodologies considered and rejected ................................................................................. 54 Participatory action research .............................................................................................. 55 Political autoethnography .................................................................................................. 56 Radical community development theory ..........................................................................
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