Browsing by Author "Austin-Collins, Summar"

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    Ringleaders in mischief : a study of one Māori whānau in New Zealand child welfare case records, 1926-1948 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Psychology) at School of Psychology, Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Austin-Collins, Summar
    The causes of Māori over-representation in state care have been connected to enduring symbolic and structural violence and can be linked to processes of colonisation. Recent survivor testimony has highlighted the need to critically examine the way welfare service providers understand and engage with service users. However, limited opportunities exist to examine the historical roots and impacts of violence on Māori in their engagement with the foundational child welfare agencies of the settler society. This research seeks to address this gap, by documenting an exemplar of the relationship between four Māori siblings - who were rendered wards of the state - and the Child Welfare Branch of the Education Department between the years 1926 to 1948. The inquiry applies a narrative analytical framework to examine the way power was expressed and contested within the case file records of these siblings. The analysis identified several broad themes in the representation of power. These related to the construction of the state’s actions as heroic, and the behaviours and identities of the Cole whānau as threatening. The goal of state intervention was assimilation, and success was measured against a set of assumptions of good citizenship, which limited the siblings’ capacity to thrive. The research theorises that stigmatising narratives take on the guise of truth, and these create the context for the state’s engagement with whānau. Creating a more empowering social context requires targeting the narrative social field as well as the legitimating political structures. Limitations of the research are discussed, and recommendations made that link historical antecedents to the current welfare environment.