Encountering tūrangawaewae and whanaungatanga : Māori, interconnection and a place to stand in Kairākau and Aroha Bridge : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Media Studies at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
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Date
2018
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Massey University
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Abstract
The establishment of Māori Television, alongside the development of public funding
agencies like NZ on Air, and the expansion of media consumption to include online spaces
has meant that Māori media has become an increasingly significant presence in the lives of
both Māori and non-Māori viewers. However, there remains relatively little research into the
ways in which this media can facilitate understanding of te ao Māori. Combining elements of
postcolonial theory and kaupapa Māori criticism, this thesis examines the ways in which the
textual representations, production practices, and distribution methods of the webseries Aroha
Bridge and the television series Kairākau shape an understanding of tūrangawaewae and
whanaungatanga. The thesis shows how the textual representations within the two series
construct tūrangawaewae and whanaungatanga in complementary but also contrasting ways,
providing a place to stand and fostering connections that are, for example, dynamic and
informed by tradition, and that value cultural hybridity and autonomy. Through analysis of
the production and distribution contexts in which the series are situated, the thesis also
highlights the economic, cultural, and technological factors that present opportunities or
obstacles for the realisation of tūrangawaewae and whanaungatanga on and off screen. The
thesis thus reveals the value of Māori media as a resource for learning about te ao Māori, the
ways in which te ao Māori is evolving in the contemporary mediascape, and the structural
factors upon which these developments are contingent.
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New Zealand, Māori Television, Ethnic television broadcasting, Television programs, Maori (New Zealand people), Social conditions, Social life and customs, Drama, Rārangi pouaka whakaata, Hōtaka (Pāpāho), Tūrangawaewae, Whanaungatanga