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    Mental health conceptualisations and perspectives on mental health services of Black Sub-Saharan African migrants and refugees in Aotearoa New Zealand : a doctoral thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Manawatu Campus, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-08-22) Musakwa, Michelle
    The number of African migrants and refugees is increasing in Aotearoa-New Zealand (A-NZ). However, there is still limited understanding regarding the mental health experiences of Black Sub-Saharan Africans. Without adequate knowledge of the experiences of this population, it is difficult for mental health professionals to provide culturally appropriate services. As such, it is prudent to develop an understanding of the way this population conceptualises, experiences, and manages mental health and mental distress. This study explores how Black Sub-Saharan Africans in A-NZ conceptualise and manage mental health and their perspectives on mental health services in A-NZ. A qualitative approach was employed, with data collected through nine semi-structured individual interviews and two focus groups (each with four Black Sub-Saharan African women). Individual interview data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, highlighting the role of identity in mental health conceptualisation and the intergenerational and gender differences that exist. Focus group data were analysed through Reflexive Thematic Analysis and key themes identified included barriers to accessing services and participants’ preferences regarding mental health services. Overall, this study found that culture and identity play a critical role in how Black Sub-Saharan Africans perceive mental health. These factors also influence people's experiences with mental health services. Understanding the cultural nuances of Black Sub-Saharans in A-NZ can help mental health clinicians develop an ethos of engagement that promotes better quality of care.
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    Experiences of precarity for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-04-30) Martin, Ahnya
    Socioeconomic precarity and in-work poverty are associated with increased exposure to ill-health and untimely death. Presently in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), there are many conversations in public discourse about the precariat, or people experiencing in-work poverty, and what “they” need. There are fewer conversations with households experiencing precarity to understand the insecurities they face in relation to inadequate incomes and associated insecurities in housing, food, and leisure, and how various policies designed by more affluent groups frustrate or improve their precarious situations. Successive governments have continued to act without adequate dialogue with the precariat, with less than desirable outcomes. These outcomes are particularly stark for Māori who as a result of ongoing processes and the legacies of colonisation are overrepresented within the precariat. Understanding precarity for Māori from the perspectives of those who are directly impacted is imperative if we are to ensure policy measures are successful in preventing and alleviating in-work poverty. This thesis contributes to current Indigenous efforts to theorise the contemporary and lived experiences of precarity for Māori. I have approached precarity as a cultural and economic assemblage that can be reassembled to enhance the lives of members of the precariat. Speaking to methodological pluralism, I have employed a qualitative methodology of enhanced interviewing using mapping and photo elicitation guided by Kaupapa Māori (KM) praxis to enact this culturally centred approach that is informed by tikanga (protocols/customs) Māori. Four consecutive engagements with one Cook Island Māori and nine Māori households (40 interviews in total) informed the development of various policy initiatives to address issues of precarity. Chapter 1 serves to historicise and situate the evolution of precarity within Aotearoa NZ: particularly for Māori. Chapter 2 (Publication 1) reflects on this application of KM praxis to document and respond to the everyday experiences of households living in precarity in Aotearoa NZ. I outline the relationally ethical and community-engaged methodology informed by key cultural principles which I have employed in my research design and fieldwork. The findings inform my recommendations for policy which responds to household needs. The third chapter (Publication 2) draws on assemblage theory to document the participants’ everyday experiences of precarity and how policy initiatives emerge as key elements within the everyday lives of the precariat. The fourth chapter (Publication 3) shifts the focus to householders’ engagement in leisure as they cope with and respond agentively to situations of precarity. I document how core Māori principles and processes of whanaungatanga (cultivating positive relationships) and manaakitanga (caring for self and others) are foregrounded in household engagements in contemporary leisure practices. Overall, this thesis contributes to current Indigenous theorising of precarity by providing insights into the lived experiences of the consequences of policy efforts to alleviate the multifaceted insecurities associated with household precarity. Recommendations to inform policy settings are outlined at the final discussion chapter.
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    Tongan indigenous approaches in the prevention and restoration of family violence : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Havea (née Taufa), Sesimani
    Substantive literature exists on intimate partner violence and the efficacy of various response programmes. There is only limited knowledge of Pacific-indigenous understandings of and responses to violence within the kainga (families). This thesis explores aspects of the inaugural application of the Tongan conceptual framework of Fofola e fala ka e talanoa e kainga (laying out the mat so families can dialogue) as part of the faith-based Kainga Tu’umalie (prosperous families) family violence intervention and prevention programme in Aotearoa New Zealand. The programme is centred around weekend retreats involving Tongan households experiencing family violence. I was culturally immersed in observing, actively engaging in, and evaluating this programme during the retreats that involved 49 Tongan church kainga (families). Additionally, formal talanoa (a Pacific-indigenous way of engaging families in research) were conducted post retreat with seven faith-based community leaders to draw out their depth of cultural knowledge and how it was applied to the development and conduct of the programme. As well as drawing on the evaluative materials, talanoa were conducted with three participating families to further consider their experiences of the programme. Overall, this study found that Tongan indigenous cultural ways infused with faith-based values can be effective, transformational, and restorative for individuals and families experiencing violence. Core findings are encapsulated by three intersecting Tongan-Indigenous cultural concepts of: Ko e makatu’unga mo’ui mo e malohi (a powerful and living platform); Koe kolo malu mo e hufanga (a place of safety & refuge), and Fa’utaha (unity/harmony/peace). These concepts not only represent the interweaving of Christian faith and Tongan indigenous knowledge as symbolised by the Fofola e fala (laying out the mat) framework, but also inform our shared understanding of the intent and impacts of the Kainga Tu’umalie programme. These concepts also enlighten my analysis of the positive impacts of the programme on participating families’ and their commitments to engaging in efforts to transform their everyday interactions to create more harmonious relationships within which they can thrive together. Participant accounts foreground the importance and potential of working with key faith-based and cultural values to address patterns of violence collectively within Tongan kainga (families), and with support from wider community members. This research also speaks to the significance of leveraging collaborative partnerships between community-based agencies and faith-based communities in addressing social issues.
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    Kūkū : a re-imagined fangufangu developed through a Kakala Design Framework : a thesis is presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of : Doctor of Philosophy in Design, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Ngā Pae Mahutonga, Pōneke, Aotearoa | Massey University, School of Design, Wellington, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 19 December 2025.
    (Massey University, 2024-09-23) Kaulamatoa, Rachael
    The fangufangu (nose flute) is a Tongan musical instrument that traces back hundreds of years. Each fangufangu possesses unique physical characteristics, contributing to its distinct sound. Highlighting its historical and cultural significance, one customary use was awakening nobility from slumber. Although rare today, practices of making and performing the fangufangu have been revitalized by Tongan communities in recent years. However, there is limited research on the fangufangu, particularly from a Tongan perspective. This practice-led creative research develops and applies a Kakala Design Framework to holistically and collaboratively explore possibilities of the fangufangu for modern musicians of the Tongan diaspora. The culmination of this research is embodied in Kūkū, a re-imagined fangufangu that enhances specific musical, tangible and visual aesthetics by harmoniously weaving notions of past, present and future. Through an analogue design approach, primary elements of form and material contribute towards enhancing instrument playability and sonic versatility to accommodate use across diverse musical environments and playing styles. Guided by an Indigenised industrial design process predicated on Tongan world-views and values, this exegesis reflects on the collaborative development of Kūkū with Tongan fangufangu practitioners.
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    Ipurangi : Māori, the internet and implications for tikanga Māori : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Turitea, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Warren, Krystal Te Rina Fain
    As the world incorporates technology and the internet, new developments provide challenges and opportunities for Māori engaging in these spaces. By developing and applying īWhakaaro (Kaupapa Māori Internet Theories) and īRanghau (Kaupapa Māori cyber ethnography) this research explores the overall question: what are the implications of Māori engaging online for tikanga Māori? And explores, how are tikanga Māori (Māori values, customs and protocols) maintained or transgressed through the use of the internet by Māori? Ipurangi, this research thesis, is framed around the cosmo-genealogical narrative of Tāwhaki who ascends through the heavens to obtain new knowledge. Just like the journey of Tāwhaki, Māori engaging online are presented with opportunities for great potential as well as obstacles that pose a threat to tikanga Māori. A new theoretical approach, īWhakaaro and a new methodological approach īRangahau, was used to analyse literature and identify themes that emerged from interviews with expert Māori who lead the use of the internet and apply tikanga Māori. eColonialism and Kaupapa Māori theory are applied to analyse how colonisation takes place online, and to develop a new theoretical position - īTāmi. This research makes three major contributions to research: first, a new lexicon for Māori engaging in the online space; second, new theoretical and methodological approaches for Kaupapa Māori research; and third, ipuRangi - a framework to guide Māori engagement with the internet.
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    Co-designing a community-based intervention for prediabetes among Tongan youths in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health at Massey University, Wellington Campus, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Pulu, Veisinia
    The Tongan population is the second largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand, and they have a high rate of prediabetes, characterised by high obesity, hypertension, sedentary behaviours, and unhealthy diets. Addressing this condition through a Tongan community centred based programme, the progression of type 2 diabetes and future health complications can be prevented. Aim: The overall objective of this study was to investigate the Tongan youths and adults’ understanding of prediabetes by mobilising them into collective actions to lead healthier lives. Methods: There were three phases of this study. Phase one explored the perception and understanding of prediabetes and its impact on health and well-being among 8 youth and 11 adults. Phase two applied the Bratteteig co-design methodology to co-develop and implement a community-based intervention called Polokalama mo’ui lelei to address the main characteristics of prediabetes (diet, physical activity, weight management and enhanced knowledge about prediabetes). Phase three involved two online focus groups (youth group=4, adult group = 3) to evaluate the effectiveness of the Polokalama mo’ui lelei. Findings: Phase one findings highlighted that the Tongan youth and adults have limited knowledge of prediabetes which was attributed to the lack of understanding and access to health promotion services. This was compounded by generational health information that had been conceptualized within families, further enhancing their limited understanding. Phase two of the co-designed program showed improvements in weight management measurements; however, the number of participants was too small (n=10) to infer meaningful findings. Phase three findings highlighted key barriers for accessing the program, such as household income, education and motivation factors, and socio-cultural and economic factors. Conclusion: Education and knowledge about prediabetes was viewed as a major issue for the Tongan community members when they had learnt about it. The co-design approach in phase two was demonstrably a socially relevant approach to undertake with the Tongan community, but the method used was not a culturally relevant approach. As a result, a major development from this study was the establishment of the Fengaueaki Fakataha model, a new Tongan model of health. This model provides Tongan cultural insights and protocols which help explain the findings, and it could be used as a guide for conducting future research when working with Tongan communities.
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    Performing pūrākau : liberating bodies, healing wairua, and reclaiming ancestral wisdom : 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, 2021) Pearse-Otene, Helen
    Studies by government agencies and advocacy groups report that Māori women and children are more vulnerable to experiencing family violence, sexual abuse, and incest than Pākehā. They acknowledge colonisation and historical trauma as contributing factors, and call for a systems-focused response to tackling sexual violence. This includes providing access to contextually responsive and culturally appropriate interventions. This study initially aimed to explore traditional Māori understandings of incest and healing from sexual trauma that are embedded in the pūrākau (ancestral story) of Hinetītama/Hinenui Te Pō, and her parents, Hineahuone and Tānemahuta. As it would apply a unique Māori theatre pedagogy called Theatre Marae, the project was then expanded to investigate the utility and potential of this innovative approach, which draws together Māori and non-Māori performance traditions, therapeutic models, Māori language, and customs in a process for creative inquiry. In pursuing these two activities, the resulting thesis comprises three publications. In the first article (chapter 2), I unpack the conceptual framework of Theatre Marae pedagogy as a suitable approach for kaupapa Māori (by Māori, for Māori) arts-based research against the backdrop of growing scholarship in Indigenous research and psychologies. In the second article (chapter 3), I deepen this exploration into Theatre Marae and its core methods within an historical account of the theatre company most associated with the practice, Te Rākau. The third article (chapter 4) builds on the preceding chapters by returning to the initial focus of this study and describing how Theatre Marae was applied in a performance-based analysis of this ancient pūrākau as a narrative of survival and healing. The analysis revealed new themes that highlight the collectivist customs of traditional Māori society as protective factors against the proliferation of sexual violence and incest. When drawn together in this thesis, these articles and contextualising discussion illustrate how Māori ancestral knowledge can inform the development of more culturally responsive therapies for recovery from historic sexual trauma. Furthermore, in presenting Theatre Marae to the realm of kaupapa Māori research, this thesis contributes to an international agenda to decolonise research in ways that are emancipatory, healing, and transformative for Indigenous communities.
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    Māopoopo : a socio-cultural and collective understanding to improve wellbeing amongst Pacific people in Aotearoa/New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Tuisano, Hana Salome
    The Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ) healthcare system, has, like many other colonising ‘Western’ societies, placed a strong emphasis on biomedical models and the physical aspects of ‘disease’. Yet, it is the more encompassing and holistic worldviews of wellbeing that historically and currently resonate most strongly with Indigenous peoples. As a South Pacific country, there are many Pacific peoples who now live in Aotearoa/NZ with multiple generations having migrated from their island homelands over a period of some 80 years. However, there are significant health inequities among Pacific peoples compared with other ethnic groups in Aotearoa that have been ongoing for decades – notably those conditions related to non-communicable disease. This thesis explores the socio-cultural and historical perspectives of Pacific peoples in order to expand understanding about how they view health and wellbeing, an area about which relatively little is known. These understandings have the potential to lead to improved service delivery models and contribute to better health outcomes for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa/NZ. The overall objective of the study is to identify and articulate the values and principles that promote and enable Pacific peoples’ wellbeing and health in Aotearoa/NZ. The aims of the study are to: • draw on Tokelau knowledge of the cultural, historical, and social environment to better understand the influences on Pacific health and wellbeing • examine strategies of health empowerment and wellbeing among Pacific youth, and • examine service delivery models that can lead to improved Pacific health outcomes. The Tokelau worldview of māopoopo was used as an overall principle to inform all phases of this study. Conceptually, māopoopo serves as a cultural connector with people, a motivator of action, and informs principles that guide behaviour in practice. Māopoopo as a practice in action is to restore peace and wholeness and to inform future thinking (lumanaki), which includes an inseparable relationship with te fenua (land) e laga kita ko te fenua (to be determined to look after the land). Māopoopo as a metaphysical state is described in relation to levels of the individual (te tino), the family (Kāiga), the village (te Nuku). Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were carried out with a total of 37 participants including Tokelau elders, Tokelau community leaders, Tokelau adults, Pacific youth, and Pacific health and policy workers between July 2016 and January 2017. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and the emergent themes applied in relation to māopoopo. There were seven key themes identified from this research. The first theme, kāiga (family), was interrelated with the values of loto alofa (kindness), fai kāiga (family orientated), fakaaloalo (respect), loto maualalo (humility), and loto fehoahoani (helping others). The second theme, duty of care (tiute tautua), related to traditional knowledge and the intergenerational transfer of that knowledge, particularly in relation to culture, land, and language. Maintaining family relationships (loto fai kāiga) was the third identified theme and fundamentally underpins and is interrelated with all the first five themes identified. The fourth theme, interconnectedness (fehokotakiga), highlights the breadth of relationships between people and understandings of interdependence as opposed to independence. The fifth theme, spirituality (olaga faka-te-agaga), recognizes the centrality of the church in Pacific communities. Health advocacy was the sixth key theme with the final key theme being the impact of inequities on Pacific wellbeing. This thesis identifies Māopoopo as being an inclusive research approach that can have benefits for Pacific peoples while also having the potential to be developed within health policies to facilitate focus on collective action through effective cross-government and intersectoral approaches. In this way, it could be utilized to ensure effective approaches to collaboration between the health care system and the social, housing, employment, and education sectors. This work highlights the value and utility of applying Pacific understandings of wellbeing to support and empower communities through their active inclusion from the design through to the implementation of services. There is a great need for increased reciprocity in the relationships between government agencies and Pacific communities. There was recognition of the need for the application of cultural practices and concepts into service delivery for Pacific peoples, such as provision of on-site bilingual health workers, and it is therefore imperative that core health delivery services are brought closer into alignment with the realities of Pacific communities, for example, through active engagement with churches. There are significant gaps in health services for Pacific youth. This population group are an energetic group and, most importantly, the fastest growing population in Aotearoa. This current generation plays a significant role in terms of health advocacy, thus, to ensure relevant and effective impact within communities, they must be central players and key informers in the development of any interventions/strategies focussed on Pacific health and wellbeing. Further studies may well be useful to scope or investigate the healthcare services available for Pacific youth. Associated with the position and role of youth within Pacific communities, is the largely untapped potential to utilise the unique skills and knowledge available through intergenerational approaches where the grandparents are the educators in terms of the passing on of cultural knowledge and values. Health services can be made aware of this important pathway by which knowledge is transferred and of the critical role grandchildren could have to change their grandparents’ attitudes towards health.
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    Family finds a way : experiences of multigenerational transnational new Chinese immigrant families in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Ran, Guanyu
    The Immigration Act 1987 fundamentally transformed New Zealand’s immigration policy from one that was race-based to one based on economic needs of New Zealand society. It opened the borders to immigrants from much wider regions. As a result of this “open-door” immigration policy, a substantial new Chinese immigrant community from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was established in New Zealand. Building a closely-tied multigenerational family is an important feature of family life for this immigrant group. Often, multiple generations live together or within close proximity with one another in highly interdependent relationships. However, a growing number have also started to maintain their family lives transnationally, with different family members across generations living apart but maintaining close ties, with frequent interactions across national borders. Given this transnational family arrangement is very different from Chinese traditional practices of family maintenance, the impact of this change on the wellbeing and functioning of these families and their individual family members is an issue of increasing academic interest. This thesis responds to these concerns and explores the relationship between people’s experiences of transnational migration and their multigenerational family dynamics. Through engaging with individual life stories and perspectives of 45 participants across generations from new PRC immigrant families living in New Zealand, this thesis seeks to understand how those families with closely-tied multiple generations cope with dislocation and relocation during the process of transnational migration. It also investigates how transnational migration experiences contribute to new emergent domestic dynamics, including the development of new strategies and practices to maintain family traditions, interests and coherence across national borders, as well as shifting intergenerational relationships. The empirical data demonstrates that despite the increasing proportion of new PRC families living transnationally, their experiences of managing family lives vary. I argue that this diversification of transnational family experiences is largely attributed to the interaction of various impact factors associated with both the internal dynamics of immigrant families themselves and external contexts where those families are closely related. My research also attests that family members’ transnational migration experiences accelerate changes to the way they perform family life, particularly amplifying intergenerational differences and altering intergenerational dependency. Even though those changes introduce vital challenges towards multigenerational family maintenance and coherence, my research reveals that families are resilient and able to actively forge multistranded resources as well as engage various transnational activities in response to those challenges. While this thesis poses intriguing perspectives and culturally-specific scenarios to study immigrant families in New Zealand society, more importantly, it also contributes to the broad theorisation of transnational family formation and maintenance in the increasingly globalised world.
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    'Whakapuputia mai o mānuka' : a case study on indigenous knowledge and mitigating the threat of myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) : a research thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Horticultural Science, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, University of New Zealand, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Tora, Mesulame J.
    This research centres on the recent myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) incursion in New Zealand to review the literature on the disease specifically and to create a localised case study with Ngāi Tāneroa hapū of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa. The case study focused on the importance of whakapapa, mātauranga Māori, tikanga Māori and the practices of kaitiaki to ethnobotany and the development of indigenous biosecurity measures (tools) to protect culturally important plant species within the Māori community The proverb stated in the title of this thesis whakapuputia mai o Mānuka, kia kore ai te whati – (cluster the branches of the Mānuka, so they will not break off) recognizes the status of plant knowledge in te Ao Māori. It provides a foundation of understanding how Māori can participate in resource management against biological threats, which are becoming increasingly common. The science around myrtle rust and the mitigation of any incursion threats is clearly aligned to western paradigms. The information presented in this thesis outlines an extensive understanding of the intricacies of the disease as understood by the science community. But this science alone has not been able to halt the spread or risk of myrtle rust into new geographical regions. Therefore, future management of the risk of myrtle rust incursions needs to look at alternative approaches for the development of suitable management tools. The holistic approach of traditional biodiversity management using mātauranga and tikanga Māori has much to offer to conservation of taonga resources, especially the mitigation of biological threats. The Māori worldview of the environment encompasses all elements beyond the physical attributes of an ecosystem that thrives through traditional kaitiaki inputs. The case study with Ngāi Tenaroa introduced several examples of how Māori can contribute to the mitigation of all threats on the ecosystem, not just fungal threats. Firstly, the role of whakapapa is explicit and cannot be ignored. This role consolidates the management tools across all generations at the very least. Secondly, the role of networks within Māori communities and inter-generational learning is also clear – and the risk that exists if this is lost is apparent. Lastly, examples of local knowledge such as the effect of hukahuka on plant health, companion trees and role of kaitiaki in decision-making have been identified and their importance conveyed from the hapū under study.