title: The revitalisation roles of Māori-medium whānau

authors: Bryant, Braden

abstract: For over a century and a half, te reo Māori (the Māori language) has suffered from linguistic marginalisation, causing significant language shift to English, and, with it, generations of Māori who are unable to speak their indigenous language. While efforts since the 1970s to rebuild te reo Māori have primarily focused on educational initiatives such as kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa, there is now a move to shift the revitalisation strategy towards encouraging te reo Māori use in the home, and to rebuilding the language intergenerationally. Unfortunately, little is known about whānau perceptions regarding te reo Māori revitalisation, which is what this research investigates.

This research investigates five whānau who have committed their children to Māori-medium education. It aims to understand what influenced their decision-making around Māori-medium and what they see as the key benefits for their children. It also looks at what whānau consider to be obstacles regarding their use of te reo Māori, and at their commitment to Māori-medium education. Finally, this research aims to uncover how whānau perceive the wider revitalisation effort, and their roles in it.

The qualitative method of semi-structured interviews was used to conduct this research. The conversational nature of this method gives whānau the freedom to express their beliefs, while remaining on the main themes of this study. As the participants and themes of this research are Māori, the study used Kaupapa Māori theory and principles to guide it. This supported the overall aim of aligning with Māori aspirations, and safeguarding participants from exploitation.

This research found that perceptions of whānau often reflected the extent to which they had been affected by intergenerational language shift. Whānau still highly affected by language shift, and whose te reo Māori is less normalised in the home, prioritised te reo Māori learning at school as the key benefit of Māori-medium education. This group also faced more opposition to their Māori-medium choices from friends and whānau, and perceived their revitalisation roles to be more concerned with the immediate whānau. By contrast, the whānau who had managed to regenerate te reo Māori in their homes to a greater extent placed more emphasis on tikanga and values as benefits of Māori-medium education. They identified opposition from friends and whānau as a barrier to their promotion of te reo Māori, while also identifying their own subconscious lapses into English as a major barrier to maintaining normalised te reo Māori environments for their children. Finally, they perceived their revitalisation roles as revolving around normalising te reo Māori for their whānau and for their communities. They played important roles in establishing language domains for further use of what is their home language.

This small study shows the importance of understanding the perceptions of those who are central to the regeneration of te reo Māori because they are the key agents of successful change, and have the attitudes and skills to do so. A larger study would provide more data to support the formation of new language revitalisation strategies.

text: The revitalisation roles of Māori-medium whānau For over a century and a half, te reo Māori (the Māori language) has suffered from linguistic marginalisation, causing significant language shift to English, and, with it, generations of Māori who are unable to speak their indigenous language. While efforts since the 1970s to rebuild te reo Māori have primarily focused on educational initiatives such as kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa, there is now a move to shift the revitalisation strategy towards encouraging te reo Māori use in the home, and to rebuilding the language intergenerationally. Unfortunately, little is known about whānau perceptions regarding te reo Māori revitalisation, which is what this research investigates.

This research investigates five whānau who have committed their children to Māori-medium education. It aims to understand what influenced their decision-making around Māori-medium and what they see as the key benefits for their children. It also looks at what whānau consider to be obstacles regarding their use of te reo Māori, and at their commitment to Māori-medium education. Finally, this research aims to uncover how whānau perceive the wider revitalisation effort, and their roles in it.

The qualitative method of semi-structured interviews was used to conduct this research. The conversational nature of this method gives whānau the freedom to express their beliefs, while remaining on the main themes of this study. As the participants and themes of this research are Māori, the study used Kaupapa Māori theory and principles to guide it. This supported the overall aim of aligning with Māori aspirations, and safeguarding participants from exploitation.

This research found that perceptions of whānau often reflected the extent to which they had been affected by intergenerational language shift. Whānau still highly affected by language shift, and whose te reo Māori is less normalised in the home, prioritised te reo Māori learning at school as the key benefit of Māori-medium education. This group also faced more opposition to their Māori-medium choices from friends and whānau, and perceived their revitalisation roles to be more concerned with the immediate whānau. By contrast, the whānau who had managed to regenerate te reo Māori in their homes to a greater extent placed more emphasis on tikanga and values as benefits of Māori-medium education. They identified opposition from friends and whānau as a barrier to their promotion of te reo Māori, while also identifying their own subconscious lapses into English as a major barrier to maintaining normalised te reo Māori environments for their children. Finally, they perceived their revitalisation roles as revolving around normalising te reo Māori for their whānau and for their communities. They played important roles in establishing language domains for further use of what is their home language.

This small study shows the importance of understanding the perceptions of those who are central to the regeneration of te reo Māori because they are the key agents of successful change, and have the attitudes and skills to do so. A larger study would provide more data to support the formation of new language revitalisation strategies.

year: 2017

title: Māori and the [potential] demographic dividend

authors: Jackson, Natalie

subjects: demography

abstract: This paper outlines a recently articulated concept in the demographic literature known as the ‘demographic dividend’, and connects it with key features of Māori and non- Māori demography. The dividend arises – or has the potential to arise - as each population passes through a particular point in its demographic transition. During these years, the maximum proportion of the population moves into the key working and income-earning age groups, and the minimum (comprised of youth and the elderly) is notionally dependent. With proactive and timely investment in the youthful base of the population, there is potential to convert the demographic dividend into two economic windfalls, the first arising as fertility decline causes youthful dependency to fall and the last large waves of young adults flood into the working age population, the second as the latter age and move on into the higher income earning age groups. However the window of opportunity to invest in the first dividend is fleeting, while failure to invest in that stage seriously compromises the second. This paper shows that for the Māori population, despite its relative youth, the first opportunity is already coming to an end and with it the potential gains of the second. But it also argues that there is a third window of opportunity which holds particular promise for Māori. This period will also be fleeting, but is arising in both absolute and relative terms as the relatively youthful Māori population co-exists alongside its structurally older counterpart, and together (with other New Zealanders) comprise an ‘economic dividend system’ that produces the potential for a ‘collateral dividend’.

text: Māori and the [potential] demographic dividend This paper outlines a recently articulated concept in the demographic literature known as the ‘demographic dividend’, and connects it with key features of Māori and non- Māori demography. The dividend arises – or has the potential to arise - as each population passes through a particular point in its demographic transition. During these years, the maximum proportion of the population moves into the key working and income-earning age groups, and the minimum (comprised of youth and the elderly) is notionally dependent. With proactive and timely investment in the youthful base of the population, there is potential to convert the demographic dividend into two economic windfalls, the first arising as fertility decline causes youthful dependency to fall and the last large waves of young adults flood into the working age population, the second as the latter age and move on into the higher income earning age groups. However the window of opportunity to invest in the first dividend is fleeting, while failure to invest in that stage seriously compromises the second. This paper shows that for the Māori population, despite its relative youth, the first opportunity is already coming to an end and with it the potential gains of the second. But it also argues that there is a third window of opportunity which holds particular promise for Māori. This period will also be fleeting, but is arising in both absolute and relative terms as the relatively youthful Māori population co-exists alongside its structurally older counterpart, and together (with other New Zealanders) comprise an ‘economic dividend system’ that produces the potential for a ‘collateral dividend’.

year: 2011-06

title: Marriage Policy in the Philippines:  A Case Study in Agenda Setting

authors: Guzman, Emmanuel Avila

subjects: marriage policy

abstract: This thesis asks why there is no legal provision for divorce in the Philippines despite obvious public interest in change in this area of policy. It draws on the public policy theories of Sabatier (1988), Kingdon (1995) and Lukes (1974) in seeking to understand this situation. In so doing it gives attention to questions about the influence of relevant policy actors, the core belief systems behind competing policy positions, the relation of the Catholic Church in this policy issue, the power of the Church compared with groups advocating for the re-establishment of divorce, and the implications of this for the prevailing policy. Law reform initiatives to re-establish divorce have been kept off the government agenda as a consequence of the sustained exercise of influence by the Catholic Church on the government. This often hidden and indirect exercise of power has organized the divorce issue out of politics in the Philippines.  The lessons drawn here provide a deeper understanding of why some issues and not others come to be issues that are given attention by governments.

text: Marriage Policy in the Philippines:  A Case Study in Agenda Setting This thesis asks why there is no legal provision for divorce in the Philippines despite obvious public interest in change in this area of policy. It draws on the public policy theories of Sabatier (1988), Kingdon (1995) and Lukes (1974) in seeking to understand this situation. In so doing it gives attention to questions about the influence of relevant policy actors, the core belief systems behind competing policy positions, the relation of the Catholic Church in this policy issue, the power of the Church compared with groups advocating for the re-establishment of divorce, and the implications of this for the prevailing policy. Law reform initiatives to re-establish divorce have been kept off the government agenda as a consequence of the sustained exercise of influence by the Catholic Church on the government. This often hidden and indirect exercise of power has organized the divorce issue out of politics in the Philippines.  The lessons drawn here provide a deeper understanding of why some issues and not others come to be issues that are given attention by governments.

year: 2009