Whanau Ora : Report of the Taskforce on Whanau-Centred Initiatives
Whanau Ora : Report of the Taskforce on Whanau-Centred Initiatives
Whanau Ora : Report of the Taskforce on Whanau-Centred Initiatives
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2. The Whānau C<strong>on</strong>text<br />
2.1 Defining Whānau<br />
2.1.1 Whānau has been variously defined but generally refers to Māori who share<br />
comm<strong>on</strong> descent and kinship, as well as collective interests that generate<br />
reciprocal ties and aspirati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
2.1.2 Whānau are built around familial ties that extend over three, and usually<br />
more, generati<strong>on</strong>s. The links between whānau members do not depend<br />
<strong>on</strong> specific tasks but <strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong>going relati<strong>on</strong>ships based around shared<br />
lines <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> descent and c<strong>on</strong>jugal associati<strong>on</strong>s. They are built around cultural<br />
values such as generosity, hospitality, sharing and mutual respect.<br />
Intergenerati<strong>on</strong>al c<strong>on</strong>necti<strong>on</strong>s are reflected in similar genetic patterns,<br />
similar heritage, similar names and similar obligati<strong>on</strong>s. They generate b<strong>on</strong>ds<br />
that cannot be dissolved even when alienati<strong>on</strong> occurs. Whānau have l<strong>on</strong>g<br />
histories that are measured in generati<strong>on</strong>s ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than years.<br />
2.1.3 In earlier years, members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau lived in close proximity to each o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r<br />
and were able to share in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> collective activities with relative ease. Caring<br />
for children, ga<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ring food, building houses and farming whānau land<br />
were examples <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> shared functi<strong>on</strong>s that whānau were able to undertake<br />
for a comm<strong>on</strong> good. The need for government interventi<strong>on</strong> was relatively<br />
infrequent. However, with changing social and ec<strong>on</strong>omic policies, those<br />
characteristics have been eroded and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> closeness that previously existed is<br />
no l<strong>on</strong>ger evident, at least to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> extent that it was. Several factors have led to<br />
a substantially modified whānau envir<strong>on</strong>ment: <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> depressi<strong>on</strong> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1930s,<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1939-1945 World War, and since <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mid-1940s progressive urbanisati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
now coupled with globalisati<strong>on</strong>, have created distance between whānau<br />
members so that whānau households may exist in different parts <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country or even across different countries. Though whānau are still<br />
c<strong>on</strong>nected, opportunities for close interacti<strong>on</strong> have been attenuated. At <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
same time, new communicati<strong>on</strong> technologies have created fresh links that<br />
hold promise for whānau c<strong>on</strong>nectedness. Younger whānau members, for<br />
example, increasingly use social networking tools such as Facebook and<br />
YouTube to maintain links with cousins, uncles, aunts and siblings.<br />
2.1.4 Sometimes <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cept <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau has been applied to people who work<br />
collaboratively in order to meet specific purposes. Parents and children<br />
who attend <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same Kōhanga Reo, for example, or who are part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
same sports team or cultural group, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten describe <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>mselves as whānau.<br />
Successful whānau functi<strong>on</strong>ing depends <strong>on</strong> a level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> cooperati<strong>on</strong> and<br />
interdependence coupled with a commitment to shared objectives and a<br />
shared cultural perspective.<br />
2.1.5 In c<strong>on</strong>temporary times whānau has also <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten been used as a syn<strong>on</strong>ym for<br />
family and sometimes as an equivalent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> household. Many Māori families<br />
do in fact spend much <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir lives as members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> household units ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r<br />
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