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    ‘I am not complete without my family’: a culture-centred exploration of meanings of health and well-being among migrant Indian nurses in Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Communication Association (AANZCA), 2025-02-17) Jayan P; Dutta MJ; Thaker J
    In Aotearoa New Zealand, the voices of migrant nurses are often overlooked and marginalised despite being visible in the economy. This manuscript uses a culture-centred approach to centre the voices of migrant Indian nurses on understanding their meanings of health and well-being. Contrary to the Western models, which position health as individual accountability, the thirty in-depth conversations with migrant Indian nurses point towards the importance of collective in maintaining health and well-being. The dialogues with participants revealed three main themes: the family and community as interwoven to health and well-being, migration and the hidden health cost of family disconnection, and the significance of culturally appropriate food in maintaining health. This study contributes to health communication theory and practice by providing insights into the health and well-being meanings of migrant nurses, centring their voices as replacements to neoliberal, dominant paradigms of health.
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    Wie is ek? : a study of Afrikaner identity in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Anthropology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Finlayson, Kris
    Afrikaners have had a tumultuous history since the Dutch arrived in what is now known as Cape Town. Using Barth’s (1969) concept of ethnic boundary construction and maintenance, this research examines the state of Afrikaans identity in a New Zealand diasporic context. The research employs a novel approach to interview data collection, using a modified version of Wengraf’s (2017) biographic narrative interview method in conjunction with a dual-participant interview method. This approach allows a multiplicity of subjective viewpoints, exploring Afrikaner perceptions, their experiences, how they see themselves fitting into their Afrikaans community and how this community fits into New Zealand society. The findings from this study show that Afrikaners refer to a representation akin to a Barthian model of Afrikaner. Through interviews, participants implied this presentation which was then constructed into an analytic model for the study. The model they indicated consists of four key characteristics: heritage, faith as a cultural value, language and a conservative worldview. Participants referred to themselves against this model in order to ascertain how ‘typical’ they are regarding shared community behaviour and perspectives. The study then discusses this Afrikaner identity in a New Zealand socio-cultural context. It discovers that even though New Zealand and Afrikaner-South African societies are vastly different, New Zealand’s socially liberal worldview allows an easy transition for today’s comparatively diverse Afrikaners. This transitional process and ethnic boundary modification was found to impact Afrikaner identity in varying ways, particularly related to areas of personal security, new relationship formation and hospitality, manner of speech, and how they perceived what members of New Zealand society think about Afrikaners.
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    A transitional study of migration, alcohol use and concept of alcohol drinking behaviours amongst Chinese migrants in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Master of Philosophy, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Zhang, He
    Migration is a complex and stressful life changing event. Resettlement process can cause tremendous stress for Chinese migrants, due to the huge differences between China and New Zealand. Alcohol use behaviours among migrants are complex and likely influenced by many factors, including social norms, mental health and acculturation. The drinking culture among Chinese migrants may alter due to acculturation. This research was conducted as a preliminary study to explore the factors that shape the alcohol consumption patterns, beliefs and the factors that could influence alcohol consumption related aspects from migration, acculturation and social adjustment amongst 12 Chinese migrants in New Zealand. A qualitative research design using one on one interviews and focus groups was utilised in this research. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed Chinese migrants’ cultural norms, beliefs and attitudes towards the use of alcohol and the way they have been acculturated to a more westernised drinking culture with widened choices of multicultural alcoholic beverages in New Zealand. However Chinese migrants still maintained some traditional Chinese drinking customs and also integrated oriental and western drinking culture together in their drinking occasions in New Zealand. Adapting to the New Zealand drinking culture in a problematic way, or using alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with negative emotions or loss due to migration can lead to harmful drinking behaviours, e.g., drinking and driving, excessive alcohol consumption. The initial migration period, homestay and family living in New Zealand were identified as the protective factors to prevent excessive alcohol consumption and risky drinking behaviours among Chinese migrants in New Zealand. The research indicated further studies of drinking culture among Asian migrants are needed in New Zealand.
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    Identity, culture and power : towards frameworks for self determination of communities at the margins : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2001) Williams, Katharine Anne Lewis
    The thesis inquires into how communities at the economic and cultural margins can become self-determining, increasing control over health and well-being. Community development as a method of agency in Aotearoa/New Zealand and Canada is investigated. The inquiry has been precipitated by a number of factors, all of which remain salient features in shaping contemporary conditions in both countries. Among these are increased inequities in wealth and health status between population groups in both countries that have accompanied globalising processes. The economic and cultural dominance of particular sectors in these societies means that public policies often fail to reflect the needs, aspirations and cultural systems of marginalised communities. In engaging with these issues, public health discourse in both countries proposes community development as a key strategy whereby disadvantaged communities might address their needs, thus realising increased levels of health and well-being. However in both countries community development remains under theorised, and the potentialities of some communities unrealised. The research is based upon the traditions of participatory and action research methodologies, within which a variety of qualitative methods are drawn on. The fieldwork was conducted with members of marginalised communities (predominantly low-income, migrant women) participating in community development projects and community developers working with these initiatives. The New Zealand component formed the initial and most substantive part of the investigation, after which these findings were tested in Canada. The results suggest that 'identity' and 'culture' are key elements within agency dynamics, their significance partially associated with and increased by globalising processes. Analysis of the findings reveal 'power-culture' dynamics (the various combinations of power and culture that are operative within any context) to play a central role in constituting agency relations. The critical post-modern conceptualisation of power theorised, views power-culture relations to be unstable and changing at the interpersonal and community levels of relating. Structural forms of power progressively influence power-culture relations as transitions to institutional contexts are made. The research findings have important implications for community development and public health practice within both countries. A 'power-culture' approach to community development is explicated that conceptualises a number of practice frameworks for those undertaking community development. These are articulated from three perspective: (1) community development methodology as practiced by communities, (2) organisational capacity to undertake development work with communities, and (3) practice issues for community developers.