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    The (in)visibility of Hobson's Pledge : a struggle for survival in the socio-political environment of Aotearoa/New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Barendze, Robin Aldrich
    This study explores the emergence of Hobson’s Pledge, as an alt-right group that attempts to influence government policy towards a state of ‘ethnic unity’. It explores how the group manages ideological contradictions so as to prevent unanticipated (political) consequences, and what the future might hold for the groups as a consequence of those strategies. Three methods are utilised to interpret the situation of Hobson’s Pledge: semi-structure face-to-face interviews; content analysis of internet text; and observations gathered from conversations with group members. Three themes emerge from the data. The first of these is: a true face of ‘whiteness’ - the dislocation of ‘coherence’. The second is: maintaining a ‘colour-blind’ New Zealand for all. With this second theme, four strategies are identified by which Hobson’s Pledge manages the contradictions that come to be revealed publically in its ideology. These strategies are: the promotion of an abstract subjectivity - the ‘New Zealand’ citizen; the issuing of a political demand for national ‘unity’; the presentation of Hobson’s Pledge as a broker of Māori rights against patronization; and the advocacy of a liberal democratic defence of fragility. The third theme is: moving into the future – a post-racial Aotearoa/New Zealand?. Within this latter theme, three moments are revealed in which the operation of Hobson’s Pledge reinforces perceptions of a ‘post-racial’ New Zealand. These moments are: reducing perceived racism to a small fraction of society; a democratic right to ‘free-speech’; and an intensification of covertness – a democratic right to oppose Māori wards. Public conversations are recommended as a mechanism by which the socially-divisive effects of Hobson’s Pledge could be engaged with, to progressive effect.
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    Staging Chinese Kiwi voices : Chinese representations in New Zealand theatre : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Lam, Cynthia Hiu Ying
    This thesis explores how Chinese Kiwi theatre makers challenge hegemonic discourses regarding representations of Chinese people in theatre. Up until 1996, narratives and representations of Chinese people in mainstream New Zealand media have been muted, objectified, or confined to fixed stereotypes. In this study, I demonstrate how four contemporary Chinese Kiwi theatre artists have (re)negotiated, reclaimed, and rewritten the subjectivity and narratives of Chinese people in New Zealand. This will be examined within the postcolonial and binational framework that is specific to Aotearoa. Through the examination of specific theatrical works by Lynda Chanwai-Earle, Renee Liang, Mei-Lin Te Puea Hansen, and Alice Canton, I demonstrate how they have challenged hegemonic discourses and Pākehā-narrated histories regarding the Chinese. Their works cover the lives of the early Chinese mining community (referred to as the ‘old Chinese’), to more contemporary representations (the ‘new Chinese’) that involve different sub-sets within the community. The relationship and tensions between Māori, Chinese and Pākehā will be analysed throughout. The subjectivity of Chinese women will also be reclaimed by debunking the stereotype of the ‘Oriental woman’ through matrilineal narratives and autobiography. Finally, the transformative and reconciliatory impact of their works will be examined and dissected. In this thesis, I argue that the work of the Chinese Kiwi artists I explore gestures to the need to negotiate the Chinese place, or ‘non-place’, within the dominant hegemonic narrative. I argue that these artists make strong claims through their work for the bicultural framework that privileges the Māori-Pākehā dialogue to be expanded to include the Chinese voice. I conclude that the Chinese Kiwi theatre artists have propelled the once muted Chinese voice from the margins, and have begun to carve a space into the dominant New Zealand narrative.
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    The nature of the gaze : a conceptual discussion of societal privilege from an indigenous perspective : a thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, SHORE & Whāriki Research Centre, College of Health, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Borell, Belinda
    This thesis explores how Kaupapa Māori paradigms can make important contributions to research topics that may not be of direct or immediate relevance to Māori communities. Insights gained from a Kaupapa Māori investigation of white privilege in Aotearoa New Zealand are discussed. I argue that cultural hegemony is maintained through structured forgetting, silence, and suppression of dissent that has dire consequences for dominant cultural groups as well as marginal. Structural racism and privilege are amenable to analyses utilising similar frameworks albeit from opposite sides that can provide valuable insights to understanding inequity more broadly. I also examine ways in which Kaupapa Māori analyses of white privilege can illuminate pathways of redress that will benefit all New Zealanders and provide more embracing perspectives of nationhood.
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    Happiness, ethnic discrimination and human rights in post-colonial / multicultural New Zealand : an exploration of ethnic discrimination as a barrier to the fulfilment of human rights in New Zealand, through a study of the impact of ethnic discrimination from state institutions on the ability of ethnic minorities to pursue their versions of happiness : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Lipsey, Kalym
    The impact of ethnic discrimination on the ability of ethnic minorities to pursue their own versions of happiness has not been explored, especially in a New Zealand context. The pursuing of the primary sources of happiness has an impact on how people live their daily lives. When these primary sources are either hindered or threatened this can have an adverse effect on happiness. This research is positioned in the post-colonial / multicultural setting that is 21st New Zealand. From a viewpoint of liberal multiculturalism, the relationship between recognition of identity and distribution of resources is examined through an investigation of ethnic discrimination. This relationship is explored by positioning happiness as both an object at stake in its navigation and as a pivot point in debate on the status of multiculturalism. This research draws its data from an online survey of 1878 participants in Auckland, New Zealand, with each identifying primarily with one of six ethnic identities (Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Maori, Pakeha and Samoan). The survey asked respondents about their primary sources of happiness and their experiences of ethnic discrimination from state institutions. Survey findings show that ethnic discrimination has a negative impact on the happiness of ethnic minorities when that discrimination puts barriers in place that prevent them from meeting their basic needs, and, therefore their access to primary sources of happiness. The survey findings identify family as the primary and shared source of happiness across ethnic groups. Furthermore, the survey data indicate that it is the state institutions responsible for meeting basic needs, or at least not hindering them, (Work and Income, Ministry of Health and Department of Corrections) that have the highest frequency of reported experiences of ethnic discrimination. Contextualised in a human rights framework, these results raise suggest a possible role for group rights (as compared to individual) in the both the negotiation of the relationship between recognition and distribution and the eradication of discrimination by New Zealand state institutions.
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    Te kākanoruatanga : state and Māori agendas for biculturalism : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Māori Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1992) Edwards, Patina Teresa
    This thesis is about biculturalism in Aotearoa/New Zealand and its objectives through the eyes of iwi Māori and the State. Several facets of biculturalism are explored. Firstly the meaning of biculturalism is obscure. The term has lacked clear definition. There has been confusion over its intentions and differing expectations of its goals. Biculturalism does not have a single meaning nor is it a static state. It refers at one moment to institutional arrangements and at another to processes between groups and institutions. The second part of the thesis illustrates how the State and iwi Māori have to a large degree been talking past each other. The different understandings of biculturalism are reflected in the conflicting views of the Treaty of Waitangi, views not dissimilar to the differences between the English and Māori texts of the Treaty. The State has made some attempts to acknowledge Māori interests within its institutions, and these attempts are described. Tentative explanations of power sharing have been sufficient only to frustrate iwi Māori by their failure to address a basis for the principle of self determination. A resurgence of autonomous Māori organisations at both the tribal and intertribal levels is discussed within the framework of parallel and separate Māori development. A focus on restructuring within the State institutions leads to one version of biculturalism. A focus on interaction between Māori and State institutions leads to another aspect, perhaps more relevant to the twenty first century, emphasising the development of processes for negotiation between partners within the overall context of a single nation.
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    Race relations in the Waimarino, 1880-1911 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1970) Voelkerling, Rex Herbert
    This thesis makes an examination of Maori-Pakeha relations in the Waimarino area of the King Country in the belief that all too often Maori history is approached on a national scale and viewed within a framework of national trends and Parliamentary Acts. Through the explorations of the dynamics of a bi-racial community it is hoped a regional corrective may be made to former national interpretations. A local study possesses the advantage of getting back to the 'grass-roots'. History is reduced to its very common denominator, the individual in a small community. From a point of 'culture contact' the emphasis in this thesis is placed on the years leading up to the new century, these initial years being crucial in determining the future of race-relations in the Waimarino. Briefly, it was not a series of Land Acts so much as particular comments and actions on the local level which influenced both Maori and European attitudes. These comments and actions have been investigated up to 1911 with one exception: the liquor question has been pursued to the early 1920's, it being very difficult to formulate any sort of a conclusion prior to this period in time.
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    Racism in Aotearoa New Zealand : analysing the talk of Māori and their Pākehā partners : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Pack, Sylvia
    Previous studies on racism in the field of critical social psychology have focused on perpetrator talk and text, perpetrator personality and cognition, and in-group psychology. Research examining targets' perspectives and responses to racism and race theory is rare. The current study redresses a little of this imbalance by exploring the accounts of indigenous Maori of Aotearoa New Zealand and their partners. The researcher, a Pakeha (B.A. Maori Studies), used long standing Maori contacts to establish trust, and also sought approval from a Maori Cultural advisor, the Massey University Human Ethics Committee, and a local marae (Takapuwahia) before beginning the project. Interviews were conducted with 24 participants aged 30-74, 19 of whom were Maori (10 women, 9 men) and five of whom were Pakeha women partners. Participants were asked three open ended questions. Had they had experiences of racism, and if so, could they describe them? Why did they think the racism occurred? Was there a solution? The epistemology chosen to underpin the analyses was social constructionism, which allowed the inclusion of political and social contexts and power issues, and also acknowledged the power of language to not merely reflect reality, but actively construct it. A data driven inductive approach was employed to bring to light the uniqueness of the participants' perceptions. Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) informed by social constructionism, was used in the first paper Resisting racism, to outline three themes: difficulties in expressing resistance due to power imbalance or stereotyping, non-vocalised resistance, and vocalised resistance, which was the most stressful and successful response. In Accounting for racism, a micro-level analysis of participants' talk draws on the discourse analytic tradition of Potter and Wetherell (1987) to highlight four main discourses: Ignorance of racism and Maori people, media promotion of negative stereotypes, an innate Pakeha sense of superiority, and institutionalised racism. Thematic analysis is used again in Reducing racism to define four main themes: Structural racism with attention to the workplace and the justice system, education's role in anti-racism practices, increased interaction, and becoming inclusively 'Kiwi' while practising mutual respect. This respect contributes key insights from the targets' persective, and addresses a gap in current research which is focussed almost exclusively on perpetrator theory. In addition, this study holds significance for psychologists, educationalists, researchers and policy makers as it brings fresh understanding on racism against Maori and how to best reduce it in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
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    He moana pukepuke e ekengia e te waka : persevering with citizenship education in Aotearoa : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2007) Tawhai, Veronica Makere Hupane
    This thesis examines citizenship education in Aotearoa New Zealand. In particular, it reviews what education there is in the New Zealand curriculum about Aotearoa's democratic arrangements, including the provisions for the political voices of Māori. Recent political debate suggested the reform of these provisions through a citizens-initiated referendum. This thesis sought to identify what formal education is provided to citizens to inform their response in such a referendum. Critical discourse analysis and a content analysis method were utilised to analyse data. A review of the social studies curriculum revealed some citizenship education material in education, but a distinct neglect of issues about the Māori-Pākehā relationship as they relate to Aotearoa's bi-political democracy. For example, there is an absence of material about the Māori Electoral Option. This thesis contributes to the calls for the strengthening of citizenship education in Aotearoa. It does so by affirming the benefits of such education to Aotearoa's democracy, through the empowerment of citizens to engage in democratic society. Such a citizenship education is posed through the concepts of presence, freedom, and critical consciousness from a Māori world-view (Te Ao Mārama).
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    Maori activism across borders, 1950-1980s : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University (Manawatu Campus), New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Johnson, Linda
    This thesis examines Maori activism across borders and is structured around two key themes, the creation, use and control of space, and New Zealand’s race relations reputation. It is set against a backdrop of global currents, events and ideologies which entered New Zealand and stimulated Maori activism. The overarching argument in this thesis is that Maori activists progressively created a space for themselves internationally in a variety of venues, to have their claims, grievances and realities accepted. To do so they had to subvert and challenge the discourse which confined and defined them as a privileged indigenous people who lived in a position of equality with Pakeha in a country reputed to have the best race relations in the world. I argue that the ‘privilege’ discourse shaped the form which their activism took and how, in the process of successfully contesting that discourse, they created a space for Maori in an emerging indigenous people’s activist network. A key purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate the importance of New Zealand’s good race relations reputation as a determinant of both government policy and Maori actions. I demonstrate the lengths that the New Zealand government went to in order to maintain an image of ‘one people’. Threading through the thesis are the actions of the government in restricting or mediating space in order to stifle any oppositional discourse and present a positive image of race relations. Alongside this is the agency and actions of Maori and the ways in which they subverted the dominant race relations discourse and created space for an oppositional narrative, first in New Zealand and then internationally. While Maori agency played a major role in this process, they were also the beneficiaries of a global shift which prioritised the elimination of racial discrimination, the liberation of colonised peoples, and saw a growing recognition of the oppression of indigenous people and the abrogation of their rights. All played a role in opening up a space for Maori activists to use and take their claims into international forums including the United Nations, the World Council of Indigenous Peoples, and the Russell Tribunal. This thesis demonstrates the centrality of racial discrimination in opening up New Zealand to international scrutiny, and national discussion. Through an examination of three key events in the late 1950s and early 1960s I argue that this raised a political awareness and politicised many Maori which was reflected in a less accommodating attitude, growing unrest and discontent. Race relations shifted to a central position in New Zealand. Discontent was exacerbated by proposals designed to accelerate integration and bring to a satisfactory close the 'one people' imperative. It played a part in the emergence of radical Maori activism. Internationally, the opposite occurred and for much of the 1960s New Zealand’s reputation was enhanced. From this contact was made with indigenous people who came into New Zealand to study race relations and New Zealand’s integration policies. With this came identification between Maori and indigenous peoples, understandings of similar historical and contemporary experiences, and a similar world-view. At the same time Maori began moving out across borders and making contact with indigenous people and communities. It was a soft activism and it can be seen as the first stage of awareness of each other and their place within an indigenous world. Finally, this thesis demonstrates the movement of radical Maori activists into a variety of international spaces and venues. It sheds light on how they used international spaces, the geographic extent of their activism, and the shift from mainly single issue events into an emerging independence movement across the Pacific. Thus they became part of a large network of indigenous activists who came together at conferences, and provide support and solidarity at protest actions. Moderate Maori activists moved along a different route which took them into the first transnational pan-indigenous organisation with a global perspective, the World Council of Indigenous Peoples. Collectively, as a result of these actions, Maori activists created a variety of spaces in New Zealand and internationally where they gained recognition for their grievances. Moreover they played a significant role in creating and sustaining organisations which advocated on behalf of indigenous peoples.
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    Maori and the anti-apartheid movement : generating a space to oppose domestic racism 1959-1985 : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2007) Johnson, Lin
    The unknown author has appropriated a space on a public fence, inscribed it with a message and created a new space of consciousness. The political graffiti is designed to provoke thought - to encourage the viewer to question and to perhaps translate consciousness into action. This demonstrates the use of public space as a political resource to construct and deploy a counter-hegemonic language and present an alternative vision of society. As the message suggests, New Zealanders are hiding behind myths which exist within and which influence New Zealand society. Implicit in the message is the demand for change. There is no hint as to who is 'hiding' or what the myths are. Context supplies the answer. The photograph appeared in an anti-racist newsletter to mark Christian Action Week in 1982. The purpose of the publication by the National Council of Churches (NCC) Programme on Racism was to raise the awareness of Pakeha New Zealanders about the reality of racism. 'It exists,' stated the publication, 'and has been a part of a way of life since Whites first landed in this country. Although we pride ourselves ...about human rights...freedom and equality, the bleak reality is that...this country is based on and operates under a doctrine of White racism ...White people [must] come out from behind the myths that have sheltered them for so long.'2 2 'Come out from behind the Myths', in National Council of Churches newsletter, 27 June-4 July, 1982, ACORD, NZMS 521 [uncatalogued], Auckland City Library (ACL). The National Council of Churches was one of many groups which either turned their attention to domestic racism or increased their anti-racist activities following the 1981 Springbok Tour.