Youth Connectedness Project: A Kaupapa Māori approach to understanding rangatahi Māori connectedness and wellbeing

“Connectedness and wellbeing is to do something and have a good time doing it” Rangatahi Māori participant

Keri Newman, Timoti Brown, Garrick Cooper, Wally Penetito, Chelsea Grootveld and Matthew Gifford

Youth connectedness and Māori • The proposal and FoRST • Māori sample – 50% • Participating iwi consulted – Taranaki, Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Whatua, Ngāti Kahungunu • Outputs – to target whānau, hapū, iwi and agencies/services that support them • Researching Māori connectedness ‘whakapapa’ and wellbeing ‘whaioranga’ • Conceptual framework in place for all data

Purpose and rationale • Purpose – To understand – Include Māori perceptions and representation – Must be beneficial to rangatahi Māori and their communities • Rationale – Significant rangatahi Māori component – Hearing the voices of rangatahi Māori

Māori project management • Main project – Dr Jan Pryor 2003 • Te Rōpu Tiaki – Tai Walker 2004 • Kaupapa Māori Research Group – Dr Wally Penetito 2006 • NZCER – Garrick Cooper 2006 • Aatea Consultants – Kiwa Hammond, Timoti Brown, Chelsea Grootveld 2006 • Kaitakawaenga – Carey O Hagan 2006 • KMRG new Kaimahi – Kairangahau Keri Newman and Matthew Gifford 2007 All contribute to developing the conceptual framework

Main project analytical framework and Māori conceptual framework synergy • Two frameworks, one survey tool, multiple dissemination targets • Kaupapa Māori and indigenous frameworks • Common ground hypotheses: Barnhardt 2003 • Connecting Years 2006-2007-2008

Barnhardt 2003

Problem-solution construct of interface between Indigenous/Maori and Western ways of knowing

Indigenous/M ā ori Knowledge -holistic -physical and metaphysical -practical skills & knowledge -trust for inherited wisdom -respect for all things -practical experimentation -qualitative oral record -local verification -communication of metaphor and Story connected to life, values and proper behaviour Common Ground Organising principles: -universe is unified -body of knowledge stable but subject to modification Habits of mind: -honesty, inquisitiveness -perseverance -open-mindedness Skills & procedures: -empirical observation in natural settings -pattern recognition -verification through repetition -inference and prediction Western science -part to whole -limited to evidence and explanation within physical world -skepticism -tools expand scale of direct and indirect observation and measurement -hypothesis verification -global verification -quantitative written record -communication of procedures, evidence and theory - discipline-based Adapted from Barnhardt, 2003.

Project challenges • Fitting in or a good fit • Practices and relationships with Māori • One survey – multiple cultures • Attrition – tracking transient rangatahi Māori

Te Huarahi Whakamua 2007 • Year 1- 30% Māori participation. Māori

Topics rangatahi profiles and trends, types of whanau & their relationships, parent school relationships, youth-school relationships, Māori identity, religion ,cellphone/internet use, rituals, te reo proficiency, peers, smoking, interests, school experiences and bullying.

• Year 2- 26 % Māori participation. All survey topics from the 327 questions • Year 3 - Longitudinal analysis

Kaupapa Maori Research Group – KMRG

contacts

• Keri Newman Mangai Takawaenga – Kairangahau Maori Victoria University 04 463 5187 – 027 7227 883 [email protected]

www.victoria.ac.nz/youthconnectedness