title: Building bridges - seeking collaboration with a Maori community

authors: Hohneck, Deborah

subjects: Maori community collaboration

abstract: The context for this thesis is the pressing need to help mainstream schools become more proactive and culturally responsive in how they engage with the whānau of their Māori pupils. 
The thesis examines how the author, a facilitator within the Te Kotahitanga Professional Development project, established a responsive and dialogic relationship with a local Māori community, so that the school could more fully support the educational achievements of its Māori students in mainstream classes. She explored ways to build “educationally powerful connections” with whānau. Initially, there was little interaction with Māori families through the traditional formats that this school was employing. She describes her personal journey of learning to engage with whānau members outside of the school context, and to work collaboratively with them to find more effective solutions.
In the first part of the thesis the author examines literature which helps to understand important differences between Pākehā and Māori ‘World Views’, and the reluctance that many Māori feel to engage with Pākehā institutions. She documents how she and whānau members, working together, identified contexts and cultural processes (tikanga) that enabled this collaborative research project to proceed in a culturally responsive way. 
In the second part of the thesis the author examines the particular culturally-grounded learning events and experiences that she encountered along the way. Concurrently with this identification and reporting of events and experiences, she reflects on how these events and experiences impacted on her professional practice, and on her professional and personal identities. The author also considers what implications her collaborative research journey with Māori colleagues and friends and learning might have for school leaders and whānau members in other schools. 
Throughout the thesis, the author sustains a metaphor of bridge building. This metaphor helps to appreciate how, although starting from quite different cultural locations and positions at either end of the bridge, members of both cultures were able to meet in the middle and find respectful and trusting ways of working together.

text: Building bridges - seeking collaboration with a Maori community The context for this thesis is the pressing need to help mainstream schools become more proactive and culturally responsive in how they engage with the whānau of their Māori pupils. 
The thesis examines how the author, a facilitator within the Te Kotahitanga Professional Development project, established a responsive and dialogic relationship with a local Māori community, so that the school could more fully support the educational achievements of its Māori students in mainstream classes. She explored ways to build “educationally powerful connections” with whānau. Initially, there was little interaction with Māori families through the traditional formats that this school was employing. She describes her personal journey of learning to engage with whānau members outside of the school context, and to work collaboratively with them to find more effective solutions.
In the first part of the thesis the author examines literature which helps to understand important differences between Pākehā and Māori ‘World Views’, and the reluctance that many Māori feel to engage with Pākehā institutions. She documents how she and whānau members, working together, identified contexts and cultural processes (tikanga) that enabled this collaborative research project to proceed in a culturally responsive way. 
In the second part of the thesis the author examines the particular culturally-grounded learning events and experiences that she encountered along the way. Concurrently with this identification and reporting of events and experiences, she reflects on how these events and experiences impacted on her professional practice, and on her professional and personal identities. The author also considers what implications her collaborative research journey with Māori colleagues and friends and learning might have for school leaders and whānau members in other schools. 
Throughout the thesis, the author sustains a metaphor of bridge building. This metaphor helps to appreciate how, although starting from quite different cultural locations and positions at either end of the bridge, members of both cultures were able to meet in the middle and find respectful and trusting ways of working together.

year: 2013

title: The Māori precariat: A silhouette

authors: Stubbs, Thomas

abstract: Recent financial crises and a host of punitive labour and welfare reforms have intensified socio-economic divisions across advanced nations. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the indigenous Maori peoples are subject to systemic labour market disadvantages, and are thus more likely to be affected by increased inequalities in times of economic downturn. Despite the legacies of systematic economic exclusion and discrimination in the economy, the majority of Maori demonstrate a resounding level of social resilience in the face of this hostile context. Even so, there is evidence to suggest that an unacceptable number of Maori still struggle to overcome these challenges. For instance, 13.0 per cent of Maori are in temporary work compared to 8.2 per cent of Pakeha,1 and 12.4 per cent of Maori are experiencing unemployment against 4.4 per cent. of Pakeha.2 These trends contribute to a range of socio-economic challenges, to which mainstream and Maori service providers are struggling to respond.
In this chapter, we develop a demographic silhouette to seek an understanding of socio-economically marginalised - or 'precariat' - Maori. Although we are wary of portraying Maori in an unduly negative light, we also submit that an appreciation of the extent of the issues faced by this group is necessary if our analysis is to be useful in the development of an effective response. We begin by defining the precariat. Using data obtained from Statistics New Zealand's Te Kupenga survey of Maori wellbeing, we then outline the prevalence and composition of the Maori precariat in Aotearoa New Zealand. Overall, we find that the Maori precariat comprises a substantial portion of the Maori population, particularly among females, younger age groups, and those with low or no qualifications. They are predominantly located-in regions that have high levels of seasonal employment, and in more deprived areas. We also find the value attached to Maori culture and experiences of stigma for this group are, for the most part, similar to those among the Maori non-precariat.

text: The Māori precariat: A silhouette Recent financial crises and a host of punitive labour and welfare reforms have intensified socio-economic divisions across advanced nations. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the indigenous Maori peoples are subject to systemic labour market disadvantages, and are thus more likely to be affected by increased inequalities in times of economic downturn. Despite the legacies of systematic economic exclusion and discrimination in the economy, the majority of Maori demonstrate a resounding level of social resilience in the face of this hostile context. Even so, there is evidence to suggest that an unacceptable number of Maori still struggle to overcome these challenges. For instance, 13.0 per cent of Maori are in temporary work compared to 8.2 per cent of Pakeha,1 and 12.4 per cent of Maori are experiencing unemployment against 4.4 per cent. of Pakeha.2 These trends contribute to a range of socio-economic challenges, to which mainstream and Maori service providers are struggling to respond.
In this chapter, we develop a demographic silhouette to seek an understanding of socio-economically marginalised - or 'precariat' - Maori. Although we are wary of portraying Maori in an unduly negative light, we also submit that an appreciation of the extent of the issues faced by this group is necessary if our analysis is to be useful in the development of an effective response. We begin by defining the precariat. Using data obtained from Statistics New Zealand's Te Kupenga survey of Maori wellbeing, we then outline the prevalence and composition of the Maori precariat in Aotearoa New Zealand. Overall, we find that the Maori precariat comprises a substantial portion of the Maori population, particularly among females, younger age groups, and those with low or no qualifications. They are predominantly located-in regions that have high levels of seasonal employment, and in more deprived areas. We also find the value attached to Maori culture and experiences of stigma for this group are, for the most part, similar to those among the Maori non-precariat.

year: 2017

title: Interreligious dialogue: Ecumenical engagement in interfaith action

authors: Pratt, Douglas

subjects: interreligious

abstract: This chapter is an exploration of some background, initial impetus and rationales whereby the Christian Church is engaged in interreligious dialogue. There is emphasis on the central agencies of the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church. Particular attention is also given to the various models of dialogue that have emerged. The author proposes that in and through this comparative study the contours of an ecumenical Christian stance towards – and an engagement in – interreligious dialogue should emerge. He concludes that people of different religions, in pursuit of dialogical relationship one with another, nowadays have the possibility of transcending past histories of combative clash in favour of a future marked increasingly by co-operative engagement: faith can make things better.

text: Interreligious dialogue: Ecumenical engagement in interfaith action This chapter is an exploration of some background, initial impetus and rationales whereby the Christian Church is engaged in interreligious dialogue. There is emphasis on the central agencies of the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church. Particular attention is also given to the various models of dialogue that have emerged. The author proposes that in and through this comparative study the contours of an ecumenical Christian stance towards – and an engagement in – interreligious dialogue should emerge. He concludes that people of different religions, in pursuit of dialogical relationship one with another, nowadays have the possibility of transcending past histories of combative clash in favour of a future marked increasingly by co-operative engagement: faith can make things better.

year: 2010