Dreaming Ourselves and Aspirations into Places of Higher Education

Dreams and aspirations are at the core of what higher education is about. Students and scholars alike, the world over, are engaged in the realization of dreams that bring forth new opportunities, new ways of seeing and being and of changing the world. Many Maori students dream of making a difference and see the pursuit of higher education as a way to bring their dreams into reality. Often their dreams reflect family and community aspirations bringing with it a significant burden of responsibility and obligation. And for Maori academics and researchers like me, my dreams are not too different to those of my own students except that where students pursue a pathway towards becoming relevant, academics are challenged to remain so. In this chapter, I will share some of my/our hopes and experiences and how Maori went about dreaming ourselves into the staff make up, curriculum and research activities in the School of Psychology at the University of Waikato

Race, culture and ethnicity: Organisation of Maori social groups: A working paper

Three concepts have guided the conceptual orientation to studies of human groups within the social sciences. They are those concepts of race, culture, and ethnicity. These are discussed with specific reference to Maori peoples and their development in Te Aohurihuri

Maori and psychology: Indigenous psychology in New Zealand

Maori have their own approaches to health and well-being, which stem from a world view that values balance, continuity, unity and purpose. The world view is not typically thought of as 'psychology', yet it is a foundation for shared understandings and intelligible action among Maori. Maori behaviours, values, ways of doing things and understandings are often not visible nor valued. However, through these opening years of the twenty-first century, psychologists are slowly turning their attention to addressing this invisibility with the explicit agenda of building 'indigenous psychologies

Māori & Psychology Research Unit Annual Report 2012

Annual report of the Māori and Psychology Research Unit (MPRU) 2012. The unit was established in August of 1997. The unit is designed to provide a catalyst and support network for enhancing research concerning the psychological needs, aspirations, and priorities of Maori people. The MPRU is well situated to draw together skilled and experienced interdisciplinary research groups by networking and establishing working relationships with staff and students within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the University, and the wider community

Spill-over of sustainability values and practices - a psychology PhD thesis proposal

The following presentation relates to my proposed PhD topic. As an audience you’re probably reading the title and wondering what relevance my topic has to the symposium theme Claiming Spaces. My immediate response is ‘nothing’. Nada, zilch, kore. As a ‘fill-in’ speaker for a presenter unable to be here, I’m reminded that despite my topics irregularity in the programme, I claim a space as both a psychologist and Maori person seeking to work with in the field of sustainability and conservation. Psychologists and Maori are interested in more than mental health and clinical investigation. We are interested in how the world goes around and seek to claim a space here too. So, this symposium and my participation DOES have relevance and I’d like to acknowledge those who remind me so. Let’s take a peep into my world for the next 3 years

An evaluation of the effectiveness of social equity strategies for Maori students in the School of Science and Technology

In 1991 the School of Science and Technology (SOSAT) at the University of Waikato had a very low participation rate of Maori and students from other non-dominant ethnic groups. This situation was serious enough to concerned the then Dean of the School and strategies were developed to change this situation. Four major strategies are used to encourage, support and retain Maori students to successfully pursue and complete a degree in Science. They are: the Te Putahi o te Manawa programme - a mentoring programme; a scholarship and grant writing strategy (in particular assistance with Tuapapa Putaiao Maori Fellowships(TPMFs) administered by FRST); school visits; and field trips with secondary schools in the Waikato region that have a high proportion of Maori students. The Maori & Psychology Research Unit (MPRU) was contracted by Gary Bramley of the Equity Office of the SOSAT to conduct this evaluation. Evaluative information was gathered through administering questionnaires, completing key informant interviews, and completing focus group interviews. In this evaluation we sought to determine the effectiveness of the social equity strategies for Maori students in the SOSAT at the University of Waikato

Ngōku whakaaro – hei maumaharatanga. Maori women facial adornment: A mark of remembrance

To honour the life and memory of the late Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu, and the elevation of her son King Tuheitia, a group of women from Tainui iwi under took the process of taking moko kauae - of colouring their chins with traditional patterns. The adornment process took place at Turangawaewae marae with family, friends, elders, and grandchildren. In this presentation we will talk about the journey of these women to prepare themselves for their transformations, the process they went through, and their lives since. We will also consider how their decision also meant exposure to outside opinion, the associated risks of objectification, “image-snatching”, and cultural and intellectual property issues

Parallel development: A model for the delivery of culturally safe social services

Like many other former colonies, Aotearoa/New Zealand has witnessed the assertion of the rights of the indigenous people, Maori, to be self-determining in an environment of Pakeha domination. (The term Pakeha is often used to describe white New Zealanders, most of whom are of British descent.) This has important implications for the development of social services where new models are being developed to better reflect Maori aspirations. One such model is parallel development

Dual cultural identity and tangihanga: Conflict, resolution and unexpected outcomes

New Zealand has a significant number of dual-cultural whānau (families) which incorporate the identities of both Pākehā (New Zealander of European descent) and Māori (indigenous peoples of New Zealand). Little attention has been paid to the bereavement processes that will inevitably impact upon the lives of these whānau/families. As part of the Tangihanga Research Programme based at The University of Waikato, a directed study was conducted with a participant whose family/whānau included two life ways: Māori and Pākehā. An open-ended narrative approach was used to explore the participant’s bereavement after the death of his beloved wife. Two central themes emerged within the narrative, which related to conflict and eventual resolution. Decision-making processes and language played significant roles in the conflict experienced by the participant. Communication and compromise helped to resolve these conflicts. Unexpected outcomes included new understandings and strengthened connections between the participant and his wife’s marae

Different coloured tears: Dual cultural identity and Tangihanga – A directed study

Although whānau/family that are configured by both Pākehā and Māori identities number significantly within New Zealand, there has been little or no attention paid to the ways in which these identities influence the bereavement processes that will inevitably impact upon the lives of these whānau/family. The present study explored the experiences of an individual, whose whānau/family included two life ways; Māori and Pākehā. Of specific focus was the ways in which these identities influenced his bereavement subsequent to the death of his beloved wife, who was of Māori descent. One elderly male Pākehā participant was interviewed, using an open-ended narrative approach. The interview was semi structured around five broad themes, but the focus was upon the participant’s experiences and his preference in expressing these. The data analysis utilised a thematic process, which allowed the participant’s experiences to determine the emergent themes. The results depicted the diversity of issues that may be raised for dual cultural whānau/family within bereavement processes. Two central themes are discussed in relation to intercultural conflict and the eventual resolution that was created. Decision making processes, cultural and language differences played significant roles within the conflict and exclusion experienced by the participant. Communication and compromise provided resolution to the prior conflicts experienced. This created positive and unexpected outcomes which resulted in increased understandings and the strengthening of links between the participant, his whānau/family and his wife’s marae