Belonging : Pākehā women's practices in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Anthropology at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

This thesis investigates practices of belonging among Pākehā women in Aotearoa New Zealand. Acknowledging their origins through British or European ancestry, the research explored their belonging using a range of methods. It concludes that women actively enabled their belonging using a range of practices, evident in everyday life. Understanding the women's practices was assisted by combining theoretical concepts of practice with botanical metaphors to describe the complexity of belonging. Extending the metaphor enabled a deeper understanding of belonging in the Aotearoa New Zealand context as an evolving process, influenced by past practices.