Shayne Walker

An exploration of kaupapa Maori research, its principles, processes and applications

Kaupapa Maori research developed as part of a broader movement by Maori to question westernized notions of knowledge, culture, and research. Kaupapa Maori research has been used as both a form of resistance and a methodological strategy, wherein research is conceived, developed, and carried out by Maori, and the end outcome is to benefit Maori. This piece reviews the development and main principles of kaupapa Maori research, and it also describes and critiques the main processes of kaupapa Maori research. Three exemplars of research carried out by Maori researchers are provided to illustrate these principles and processes. We conclude that kaupapa Maori research is a relevant approach for research involving Maori and that it can enhance the self‐determination of Maori people. Kaupapa Maori research also has implications for research with indigenous people more generally.

What Can We Do to Bring the Sparkle Back into this Child's Eyes? Child Rights/Community Development Principles: Key Elements for a Strengths-based Child Protection Practice

Working from practice experiences, Social Work educators from Aotearoa/New Zealand, Norway and Western Australia have developed a framework for child welfare work . The framework brings together the Rights of the Child, Community Development and Child Protection. This article describes the principles and theoretical underpinnings of this framework, and illustrates its use through practice examples. The development of this approach draws from lengthy engagement in child welfare in our respective countries. Indigenous practices and community development principles, which embody strengths approaches, are complemented by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) articles and assist to move child protection from a uni-dimensional reliance on expert assessment of the “best interest” criterion to a multi-dimensional response of centring childrens participation and attending to cultural, family and identity considerations. We link Ifes description of first-generation, second-generation and third-generation rights to Qvortrups categorisation of childrens rights: protection, provision and participation. We extend this link by examining key Articles of the UNCRC in relation to their generational protective, provisionary and participatory functions and propose a framework for practice that is informed by child rights and community development principles. The framework identifies key practice elements necessary to work with a strengths-based perspective at the third-generation and participation rights levels in child protection and welfare. We maintain that the use of this framework can provide Social Workers with additional knowledges and skills in their child welfare work.

Bicultural Practice: Beyond Mere Tokenism

Bicultural work, in the context of the peoples of Aotearoa/New Zealand, is a complex and multifaceted subject, focused on relationships between indigenous Māori and nonindigenous Pākehā (white New Zealanders), as well as relationships across different Māori groups. It brings together indigenous and nonindigenous knowledge and practices that enhance people’s well-being. It is crucially concerned with being culturally responsive and sensitive. This chapter draws on the example of New Zealand, where sociology students have often suffered from what Tolich (2002) called “Pakeha paralysis”—avoidance by Pākehā of Māori frameworks, worldviews, and practice models, and avoidance of Māori clients or research participants. This chapter will consider the definitions, origins, relationships, and practice of biculturalism that are relevant to social work and sociology.

Readiness to practice social work in Aotearoa New Zealand: perceptions of students and educators

ABSTRACT The readiness to practice of newly qualified social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand is a contested subject. In recent years, criticism by public figures including government ministers and the New Zealand government-appointed Children’s Commissioner have stimulated debate within the profession. Media critique of social work practice has highlighted many of the challenges faced by social workers. Significant policy developments, in particular a substantive government review of child protection services, have also increased the scrutiny of the capabilities of social workers. A timely 3-year multi-phase project ‘Enhancing readiness to practise’ is the first large study of social work education to be funded in Aotearoa New Zealand. The findings reported here have been derived from data collected in a series of focus group interviews with social work educators and students, in which they reflected on curricula in their programs and explored their perceptions of readiness to practice. Overall, educators were positive about the preparedness of their graduating students but held concerns over the organizational environments they would enter. Students were more ambivalent about their readiness, but hopeful and committed to ongoing learning. Development of programs to support graduates to transition to employment is recommended.