title: Mates at the school gates:Investigating peer relationships among rangatahi Māori

authors: Knowles, Anthea Heather

subjects: school attendance

abstract: As a teacher, I have found that while some rangatahi feel connected to school, many others do not. In an attempt to reduce the gap between Māori and non-Māori educational achievement, there have been significant nationwide initiatives implemented into schools across New Zealand. These programmes have been centred mostly around improving school engagement. Despite these efforts, school attendance rates among Māori continue to decline. This thesis explores the role of peer relationships among rangatahi Māori, including how these relationships may influence various domains of engagement at school, such as participation, belonging and orientation to learning. 

This research involves focus group interviews with six rangatahi Māori aged 17-18, and in Years 12 and 13 in a small-town New Zealand High School. The wāhine Māori who contributed to the study, had been identified by the school as successfully engaged through regular attendance and participation of school activites. The findings from this study identify some critical aspects to building strong peer relationships, including: having a social space to gather, practicing manaakitanga, recognising equity, maintaining connection with each other, and welcoming humour. The rangatahi in this study value their peers and social relationships and they freely access these resources as needed. In doing so they are able to collectively critique experiences of marginalisation and acquire a collective source of resilience. The participants in this study then draw on this collective resilience during challenging situations.

text: Mates at the school gates:Investigating peer relationships among rangatahi Māori As a teacher, I have found that while some rangatahi feel connected to school, many others do not. In an attempt to reduce the gap between Māori and non-Māori educational achievement, there have been significant nationwide initiatives implemented into schools across New Zealand. These programmes have been centred mostly around improving school engagement. Despite these efforts, school attendance rates among Māori continue to decline. This thesis explores the role of peer relationships among rangatahi Māori, including how these relationships may influence various domains of engagement at school, such as participation, belonging and orientation to learning. 

This research involves focus group interviews with six rangatahi Māori aged 17-18, and in Years 12 and 13 in a small-town New Zealand High School. The wāhine Māori who contributed to the study, had been identified by the school as successfully engaged through regular attendance and participation of school activites. The findings from this study identify some critical aspects to building strong peer relationships, including: having a social space to gather, practicing manaakitanga, recognising equity, maintaining connection with each other, and welcoming humour. The rangatahi in this study value their peers and social relationships and they freely access these resources as needed. In doing so they are able to collectively critique experiences of marginalisation and acquire a collective source of resilience. The participants in this study then draw on this collective resilience during challenging situations.

year: 2019

title: Looking Past the Mess: Māori Homelessness and Mental Health Care

authors: Johnson, Diana

subjects: Homelessness

abstract: Homelessness is a pressing social and health concern that affects Māori disproportionately. This research explores the provision of mental health services to Māori who are homeless. The thesis has two primary aims. First, to document the experiences of Māori homeless people who live with mental health concerns and their relationships with mental health professionals. Second, to document the experiences of mental health professionals and how they interact with, provide care for, and build relationships with Māori Homeless. The skills of, and the difficulties faced by these professionals in provisions of quality of care are also considered. Three male and three female homeless participants were recruited from the Waikato and Auckland regions. All participants had received care from Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and/or District Health Board services (DHB). Participating mental health professionals included one female and five males. Mental health professionals included counsellors, therapists, psychologists, social workers, crisis team coordinator, and a cultural advisor. All participants took part in individual semi-structured interviews conducted in an open and conversational manner.  Key themes for homeless participants included their general life histories of mental illness, mental health service use, relationship with professionals, cultural issues, and concerns that Māori homeless wanted to discuss. Key themes for mental health professionals included their approaches when working with homeless people, relationship building, barriers to working with this group and possible solutions, linking with other professionals or organisations, and issues mental health professionals wanted to discuss. Findings highlight the importance of strong therapeutic relationships between homeless clients and mental health professionals, the need for more joined up (multi-level agency) approach to service delivery, and the importance of Māori ideology in restoring wellbeing and dignity. Findings suggest that the effectiveness of mental health service delivery relies in part on information provided by stakeholders. Information provided by homeless people and mental health professionals informs both service delivery and the ways in which practitioners can best support the needs of homeless people.

text: Looking Past the Mess: Māori Homelessness and Mental Health Care Homelessness is a pressing social and health concern that affects Māori disproportionately. This research explores the provision of mental health services to Māori who are homeless. The thesis has two primary aims. First, to document the experiences of Māori homeless people who live with mental health concerns and their relationships with mental health professionals. Second, to document the experiences of mental health professionals and how they interact with, provide care for, and build relationships with Māori Homeless. The skills of, and the difficulties faced by these professionals in provisions of quality of care are also considered. Three male and three female homeless participants were recruited from the Waikato and Auckland regions. All participants had received care from Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and/or District Health Board services (DHB). Participating mental health professionals included one female and five males. Mental health professionals included counsellors, therapists, psychologists, social workers, crisis team coordinator, and a cultural advisor. All participants took part in individual semi-structured interviews conducted in an open and conversational manner.  Key themes for homeless participants included their general life histories of mental illness, mental health service use, relationship with professionals, cultural issues, and concerns that Māori homeless wanted to discuss. Key themes for mental health professionals included their approaches when working with homeless people, relationship building, barriers to working with this group and possible solutions, linking with other professionals or organisations, and issues mental health professionals wanted to discuss. Findings highlight the importance of strong therapeutic relationships between homeless clients and mental health professionals, the need for more joined up (multi-level agency) approach to service delivery, and the importance of Māori ideology in restoring wellbeing and dignity. Findings suggest that the effectiveness of mental health service delivery relies in part on information provided by stakeholders. Information provided by homeless people and mental health professionals informs both service delivery and the ways in which practitioners can best support the needs of homeless people.

year: 2009

title: Life as a Carded Athlete

authors: Ryan, Christina

subjects: Athlete Development

abstract: In 2001 the Ministerial Taskforce for Sport, Leisure and Fitness presented the Graham Report to the New Zealand government. The authors of this document had been invited to assess the state of sport within New Zealand and provide recommendations for the future direction of wider sport initiatives. One of these initiatives involved restructuring the process for developing New Zealand’s elite athletes, which led to the establishment of the New Zealand Academy of Sport (NZAS) and the carded athlete system. This research project investigated the impact that the carding system has had on both the career and identity development of New Zealand’s elite athletes. In particular it examined athletes’ perspectives of this system as they explored how being part of the carding system has impacted their lives, both in and outside of the sport experience. Additionally, it addressed the impact that athlete carding has had on individuals’ role identities. In so doing, this investigation has allowed for a previously silenced, yet growing population of elite athletes to share their experiences of life as a carded athlete.

Semi-structured interviews conducted with a purposeful sample of 17 male and female carded athletes from eight different sports were used to explore these insights. The interviews revealed that while athletes experienced increased levels of funding and support upon becoming carded, they were also subjected to decreased levels of autonomy and perceived increases in external pressure as a result of their involvement within the carding system. Furthermore, the potential for participants to become engulfed within the athlete role was evident throughout each of their narratives. These results suggest the carded athlete system it is not currently meeting its potential of developing world class ‘holistic’ athletes. As such, it is important that individuals working within New Zealand’s elite sport environment explicitly encourage carded athletes to explore a more balanced approach to their daily lives. Differences in athlete readiness to embrace activities outside of the sport context however, suggests that career development programmes may also need to consider the stage of an athlete’s career in order to best meet individual athlete needs and motivation.

text: Life as a Carded Athlete In 2001 the Ministerial Taskforce for Sport, Leisure and Fitness presented the Graham Report to the New Zealand government. The authors of this document had been invited to assess the state of sport within New Zealand and provide recommendations for the future direction of wider sport initiatives. One of these initiatives involved restructuring the process for developing New Zealand’s elite athletes, which led to the establishment of the New Zealand Academy of Sport (NZAS) and the carded athlete system. This research project investigated the impact that the carding system has had on both the career and identity development of New Zealand’s elite athletes. In particular it examined athletes’ perspectives of this system as they explored how being part of the carding system has impacted their lives, both in and outside of the sport experience. Additionally, it addressed the impact that athlete carding has had on individuals’ role identities. In so doing, this investigation has allowed for a previously silenced, yet growing population of elite athletes to share their experiences of life as a carded athlete.

Semi-structured interviews conducted with a purposeful sample of 17 male and female carded athletes from eight different sports were used to explore these insights. The interviews revealed that while athletes experienced increased levels of funding and support upon becoming carded, they were also subjected to decreased levels of autonomy and perceived increases in external pressure as a result of their involvement within the carding system. Furthermore, the potential for participants to become engulfed within the athlete role was evident throughout each of their narratives. These results suggest the carded athlete system it is not currently meeting its potential of developing world class ‘holistic’ athletes. As such, it is important that individuals working within New Zealand’s elite sport environment explicitly encourage carded athletes to explore a more balanced approach to their daily lives. Differences in athlete readiness to embrace activities outside of the sport context however, suggests that career development programmes may also need to consider the stage of an athlete’s career in order to best meet individual athlete needs and motivation.

year: 2014