Perspectives of Kaimahi Māori : the challenges and opportunities within mainstream social work settings : a thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| dc.contributor.author | Whakarau, Kaysha L | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-08-20T21:24:49Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-08-20T21:24:49Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Māori social workers are faced with varying challenges and opportunities when working in mainstream social has not and is not currently occurring as organically as one might expect. Over the course of history, tāngata whenua have implemented and cultivated strong fundamentals of indigenous knowledge, theories, and values – these fundamentals can be implemented in a person’s professional and personal lives. As Māori social workers provide their service within their respective communities, they are often faced with challenges that their Pākehā colleagues do not encounter due to their ethnicity. They are faced with challenges Pākehā will not experience because of their ethnicity. These encounters present as a wero (challenge). Ultimately, kaimahi find themselves in this field of work to provide whānau and tamariki options to work towards, address trauma and to make sustained changes that benefit them and their whānau. By understanding the intricacies of what kaimahi experience, provides a unique perspective into how we can continue to strive for sound practice that is not based on mainstream ideologies. This research explores the perspectives of Māori social workers on the challenges and opportunities they experience while working or having worked within mainstream social work settings. The journey of the participants interviewed has been key when identifying and investigating how they each navigated the social work systems. It explores the integration of their personal, professional, and cultural roles in the concept of whānau wellbeing, taking into consideration how indigenous practice frameworks are utilised and recorded with mainstream recording constructs. As Māori social workers continue to navigate the varying mainstream systems, they are faced with many burdens of responsibilities. Being considered an expert of all things Māori, they are often a sought-after resource when working with whānau who have distrust in the system. This naturally has consequences both positive and negative and as a practitioner, walking between two worlds (Te Ao Māori and Te Ao Pākehā) this is one outcome of being employed within the mainstream setting. Of interest, the participants I spoke to raised various examples of the challenges and opportunities they were faced with. Burnout and Fatigue, Lived Experiences, Racism were just three of thirteen key findings within this research. Each finding spends time unpacking how and what this looked like and the overall effect this has on both the practitioner, the organisation and the whānau in which they are working with. This research has the potential to help future research of Māori social work in Aotearoa, particularly as a response and tool to implement cultural shifts within mainstream organisations. For any change to occur, there requires a need and a desire to make things happen. As part of my recommendations, there is current capacity for organisations to consider implementing Māori focussed and dedicated Full Time Equivalent (FTE) roles. These roles are valuable, as they provide a natural cultural lens that whānau naturally connect with. With an overwhelming statistic of negative Māori health outcomes – it requires a strong cultural shift within the social work field to start implementing and changing outcomes for the better. | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10179/19775 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.publisher | Massey University | en |
| dc.rights | The Author | en |
| dc.subject | Māori Masters Thesis | en |
| dc.subject.anzsrc | 451126 Ngā mahi tauwhiro me te tika pāpori o te Māori (Māori social work and social justice) | en |
| dc.title | Perspectives of Kaimahi Māori : the challenges and opportunities within mainstream social work settings : a thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand | en |
| dc.type | Thesis | en |
| massey.contributor.author | Whakarau, Kaysha L | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Social Work | en |
| thesis.degree.level | Masters | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Social Work (MSW) | en |