Cultural Psychology - Lecture 1: Maori Psychology Flashcards
What is Maori identity constructed in relation to?
The Māori world, and traditional knowledge exists in parallel with mainstream New Zealand society
New Zealand and global cultures
-> Maori identity in relation to Maori education and health systems etc
-> Feel different as a Maori depending on place e.g. marae compared to university -> all invite different experiences to what it means to be Maori
What can the different experiences of being Maori come along with and the impacts?
Racism
- > resistance from Maori
- > marginalised identity of Maori in mainstream society
Are Maori only present in NZ?
No - can relate to those of other countries -> sometimes Maori identities can be in relation to different cultural influences too
Are Maori identities fluid, fixed and forced?
No - there isn’t one way or an authentic way of being Maori
What is considered the benchmark of Maori identity?
Whakapapa (ancestry including adoption) -> its expression can be in multiple, diverse forms e.g. ballerina - still Maori but participates in wider sphere of activities to be authentic Maori
-> young ppl can find different ways of expression to that of older generation and are still considered Maori
What is the one thing that means one is Maori, despite the fact there is no one way to be Maori?
Maori ancestry
Māori culture, practices, and organisational structures…
exist in parallel with those of mainstream New Zealand society.
Example of how Maori may have been influenced by other cultures
Over the years, Māori have accommodated to Pākeha and western culture, yet have also maintained knowledge systems and practices in relation to mainstream NZ society.
Maori culture - differences
Commonalities with ‘kiwis’ yet also distinctive differences.
Differences are often hidden.
What does a pepeha signify?
Understanding of who the person is in relation to physical landmarks/relationships that relate to them
Maori Knowledge and the place: connection to self
Descartes’ understanding of the subject involved a focus on their ‘inner experience’, understanding how they perceive the ‘outside world’.
This contrasts with a Māori worldview that emphasises ‘connections to’ the ‘outside world’ (Mika, 2014).
What do connections Maori have with others show?
They often draw on these connections to describe who they are
Whanau
Means extended family/network of relations & birth
-> Extended relations closely interconnected with who Maori are centrally
Hapu
Subtribe - several different whanau in one hapu and pregnancy
-> giving birth to next generation - connects to several whanau meaning of subtribe
Iwi
Bones and tribe - understanding ourselves more generally
-> sheltering for next generation
Whakapapa
Ancestral connections to people and places
Genealogy -> children are whakapapa - carry DNA and ancestry into future generations
-> continuity of past, present and future generations
Do Maori see themselves as singular?
No in more broader terms of their relationships
Harakeke metaphor for whanau
Mid section - kids
Bushy outside - parents
Branching out further - aunties, uncles, grandparents
Shoots at edges - way to pass on - making room for future generations
Are whanau always biologically related?
Whānau can include people who are not biologically related, called ‘kaupapa whānau’
Matauranga Maori
Maori knowledge - not just static/entity across generations -> often gets outdated
Also referred to as ‘traditional knowledge’, ‘Indigenous knowledge’
When did Matauranga Maori start?
Predates European imperialism and colonialism and travelled with Māori in voyages across the Pacific Ocean
What does Matauranga Maori include?
Creative works, science, psychology
Matauranga Maori - creative works
Carving, weaving, oratory, Kapa haka
e.g. weaving often just beyond surface level -> philosophy for life -> being an ethical person
Matauranga Maori - science
Astronomy, fishing and gardening
e.g. Maramataka calender - lunar calender which influences landscape
being in communication with natural world and landscape
