Social Policy and Social Work

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/1265

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Maori social workers

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    From family group conferencing to whānau ora : Māori social workers talk about their experiences : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work in Social Work at Massey University, Manawatu, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Moyle, Paora
    This thesis explored the challenges faced by seven very experienced Māori social workers within the care and protection system. The views of these practitioners on what has improved for Māori whānau around recent changes to FGC and newer initiatives such as Whānau Ora were also examined. In Aotearoa New Zealand the family group conference (FGC) is the legal mechanism through which matters related to the care and protection of children are dealt with; Māori are half of the total families who have participated in FGCs. A critical factor inhibiting our understanding of this disproportionate participation is the culture of silence that exists around the effectiveness of the FGC and related care and protection issues for Māori. This research uses a Māori centred research approach to explore the challenges participants faced in care and protection and a thematic analysis of their accounts was undertaken. From this analysis it was found that: (a) the participants creatively walked between two world views in order to best meet the needs of their own people; (b) that these Māori practitioners felt over-worked and under-valued; and (c) the participants viewed the practices within FGCs as biased, demonstrating a lack of bicultural ability and contributing to significant barriers that whānau experience. They also noted that these issues were not being talked about in the sector. The implications of this for Māori relate to them being generalised into the greater mainstream mix of academic research, policy and ministerial reports, rendering them invisible. Only the individual factors of social need are being focused on for Māori because they are measurable, whilst the drivers such as colonisation, structural discrimination and cultural genocide that perpetuate the marginalisation of Māori are ignored. This is proactive monoculturalism and this study talks about it.
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    The value of rapport in rangatahi Maori mental health: A Maori social work perspective: a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) Mooney, Hannah Aroha
    This thesis examines the rapport building that occurs between rangatahi Māori whaiora (adolescent Māori who use mental health services) and Māori social workers in the field of community mental health. Six Māori social workers were interviewed to explore how they view and practice rapport building with rangatahi Māori whaiora. The Māori social workers were able to provide valuable perspectives based on years of personal and professional experience. The research was conducted using a social constructionist perspective, informed and guided by Māori-centred research principles. A qualitative research method was used and both Massey University and Māori ethical considerations thoroughly explored. Face to face interviews guided by an integrated practice framework, enabled the voices of the Māori social workers to be heard, eliciting in detail where their views have come from. The findings from the research showed that Māori social workers view rapport as essential in their practice and therefore they practice in a way that facilitates this with rangatahi. The social workers utilise their values and beliefs in their practice, according to their worldview; how they were raised; what they have experienced, and what they have learned. Specifically, Māori social workers identified the importance of practicing with a Māori worldview, therefore enabling physical connection, spiritual connection, and cultural connection with the rangatahi. These all contributed towards rapport building with the rangatahi and also their whānau. The importance of action reflection processes were also highlighted. This is due to the balance required from Māori social workers to fulfil the needs of the rangatahi as aligned with their values and beliefs, while meeting the requirements of the organisation, profession and wider community. This thesis explores these key findings.