title: Migrants in their family contexts: Application of a methodology

authors: Ho, Elsie

subjects: population

abstract: The composition of immigrant families is a topic which has attracted considerable public and political attention in recent years. In the late 1980s concern was expressed over the size of some households of Pacific Island peoples in New Zealand. In the 1990s a more persistent concern has been with the incidence of what have been called ‘astronaut’ families – families where one of the partners is persistently absent overseas. The ‘astronaut’ family phenomenon has been most commonly associated with Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

This report uses a novel methodology to examine the incidence of ‘astronaut’ families in New Zealand at the time of the 1991 and 1996 censuses. The methodology is described in some detail in the first section, and it is hoped that the careful attention to the procedures used to examine migrants, who have been identified in the census, in their family contexts will stimulate further research in this area.

The second part of the report presents the findings of an initial exploration of 1991 and 1996 census data using the methodology outlined in the first section. It is clear from results of this inquiry that the ‘astronaut’ family phenomenon is well established amongst some components of New Zealand’s Asian community. However, it is not as widespread as media comment in 1995 and 1996, before the 1996 election, suggested.

It is important to develop ways of assessing characteristics of immigrant family structures in order to counter unsubstantiated assertions which promote negative stereotypes of immigrant communities. This research, which builds on a project supported by the Marsden Fund in 1997, suggest one fruitful avenue for making more extensive use of census data on immigrants in New Zealand to provide more objective assessment of “migrants in social context”.

text: Migrants in their family contexts: Application of a methodology The composition of immigrant families is a topic which has attracted considerable public and political attention in recent years. In the late 1980s concern was expressed over the size of some households of Pacific Island peoples in New Zealand. In the 1990s a more persistent concern has been with the incidence of what have been called ‘astronaut’ families – families where one of the partners is persistently absent overseas. The ‘astronaut’ family phenomenon has been most commonly associated with Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

This report uses a novel methodology to examine the incidence of ‘astronaut’ families in New Zealand at the time of the 1991 and 1996 censuses. The methodology is described in some detail in the first section, and it is hoped that the careful attention to the procedures used to examine migrants, who have been identified in the census, in their family contexts will stimulate further research in this area.

The second part of the report presents the findings of an initial exploration of 1991 and 1996 census data using the methodology outlined in the first section. It is clear from results of this inquiry that the ‘astronaut’ family phenomenon is well established amongst some components of New Zealand’s Asian community. However, it is not as widespread as media comment in 1995 and 1996, before the 1996 election, suggested.

It is important to develop ways of assessing characteristics of immigrant family structures in order to counter unsubstantiated assertions which promote negative stereotypes of immigrant communities. This research, which builds on a project supported by the Marsden Fund in 1997, suggest one fruitful avenue for making more extensive use of census data on immigrants in New Zealand to provide more objective assessment of “migrants in social context”.

year: 2000-06

title: An ‘open letter to teachers’

authors: Kelly-Ware, Janette Patricia

abstract: Teaching is a highly complex and political endeavour, and as teachers, we need to be courageous as we support children to make sense of the increasingly complex and diverse societies that we live in. My doctoral research highlighted a number of issues related to teachers and curriculum. Te Whāriki, the Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood curriculum is the framework for critical socially relevant curriculum, and this letter speaks to teachers whose daily work involves recognising and responding to children’s ‘working theories’ about the social world. I argue that as teachers we need to be reflective and reflexive, and think critically about curriculum planning to go beyond children’s surface interests and focus on deeper issues like fairness, justice, anti-racism and our shared humanity – issues of concern to society as a whole. As teachers, we also need to involve families in the conversations that they are part of, and privy to, so together we can create a fairer, more just society for all who call Aotearoa New Zealand home.

text: An ‘open letter to teachers’ Teaching is a highly complex and political endeavour, and as teachers, we need to be courageous as we support children to make sense of the increasingly complex and diverse societies that we live in. My doctoral research highlighted a number of issues related to teachers and curriculum. Te Whāriki, the Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood curriculum is the framework for critical socially relevant curriculum, and this letter speaks to teachers whose daily work involves recognising and responding to children’s ‘working theories’ about the social world. I argue that as teachers we need to be reflective and reflexive, and think critically about curriculum planning to go beyond children’s surface interests and focus on deeper issues like fairness, justice, anti-racism and our shared humanity – issues of concern to society as a whole. As teachers, we also need to involve families in the conversations that they are part of, and privy to, so together we can create a fairer, more just society for all who call Aotearoa New Zealand home.

year: 2019

title: He purapura whetū tō te whakataukī

authors: Tuahine, Hōhepa

subjects: Whakataukī

abstract: Ko te whakataukī he kōrero e whakaatu ana i ngā tini āhuatanga o te Māori me te āhua o tōna taiao (Milroy, 2004, wh. 38).  Hei tuinga ake, he kōrero e pupuri ana i ngā tohutohu e tau ai te noho o te tangata ki te whenua.  Ka rerekē te whakatakotoranga o te kupu o te whakataukī o nehe, ki te reo Māori o nāianei.  Ko ngā whakataukī o tāukiuki i titoa i te wā e ora tonu ana ngā whare wānanga o nehe me ōna tohunga.  Ka mutu, ko te reo me ōna kupu kei tērā taumata e rere ana.  Nō reira, he kōrero e whakaata ana i te ao Māori, ko ōna atua, ko ōna tikanga, ko ōna pakanga, ko ōna tātai whakapapa, ko ōna mātauranga, ko ōna tohutohu (Milroy, 2004, wh. 38).  Ka tākaitia ake aua mātauranga ki te kōrero poto noa iho, ka tuku iho ai ki ngā uri whakaheke.

text: He purapura whetū tō te whakataukī Ko te whakataukī he kōrero e whakaatu ana i ngā tini āhuatanga o te Māori me te āhua o tōna taiao (Milroy, 2004, wh. 38).  Hei tuinga ake, he kōrero e pupuri ana i ngā tohutohu e tau ai te noho o te tangata ki te whenua.  Ka rerekē te whakatakotoranga o te kupu o te whakataukī o nehe, ki te reo Māori o nāianei.  Ko ngā whakataukī o tāukiuki i titoa i te wā e ora tonu ana ngā whare wānanga o nehe me ōna tohunga.  Ka mutu, ko te reo me ōna kupu kei tērā taumata e rere ana.  Nō reira, he kōrero e whakaata ana i te ao Māori, ko ōna atua, ko ōna tikanga, ko ōna pakanga, ko ōna tātai whakapapa, ko ōna mātauranga, ko ōna tohutohu (Milroy, 2004, wh. 38).  Ka tākaitia ake aua mātauranga ki te kōrero poto noa iho, ka tuku iho ai ki ngā uri whakaheke.

year: 2016