Kaupapa Maori Research
I have encountered many blockages of research during my stay in New Zealand. I have had many times where individuals do not want to take the time to participate in my research, with very little explanation as to why. This has a large impact on my research and may force me to make changes. This also drives home that research, especially field research, should be well-planned. Understanding I did not have a great plan and rather than placing blame on them, I did some research instead, because it could very well be some external factor that I don't know about.
I once heard a story of how the Inuit family is structured. The family contains a father, mother, a few kids and a sociologist. This joke points at the fact some cultures and peoples get researched to the point of exhaustion and do not see any benefits from it, even though the researchers most likely promised some. Perhaps service agencies, law enforcement, councillors, and others are researched too much that research fatigue sets in.
Perhaps there is a cultural reason why Kiwis do not like participating in research. There is a mix of culture in New Zealand though, and I have talked to different ones, often getting the same response. However, in my research, I found out that there are specific Maori principles (Kaupapa Maori) for doing research. There are six elements to this methodology, but the most specific ones are listed (see here for a full list).
Kia piki ake i ngā raruraru o te kainga - The Principle of Socio-Economic Mediation
This principle talks about the strength and resiliency of Maori communities to look after their own well-being. Importantly, it is a call for research to "mediate and assist in the alleviation of negative pressures and disadvantages" (Rangahau n.d.). This collective attitude relates to Maori thinking in that people are connected and that research ought to be pragmatic.
It is very possible that my emails are not specific enough on how the research can provide any assistance in alleviating poverty or homelessness. At first I wanted to be discreet on what my research is about in order to not create any cognitive biases when answering any questions; so that people would not think about homelessness right off the bat and be primed to answer questions in a certain way that would contribute to a response bias. Upon thinking about the research, and doing some more reading, I realized that when I mention safety and public spaces that the first thing someone thinks of is people who are homeless. It does not matter how discreet I am. This broad overview of my research does not make it seem very practical in helping those negative pressures and disadvantages of homelessness.
Kaupapa - The Principle of Collective Philosophy This principle highlights the collective vision and commitment of Maori initiatives. It connects the different economic, historical, political, and social spheres to the goals and values of a community. This means that all parts are just elements of the whole, and that all parts should work towards the whole, or that the research needs to be a part of the greater vision for a Maori Community.
There are examples of how tangata whenua (the original inhabitants of New Zealand) assist in trying to eliminate or decrease the effects of poverty and homelessness. There are marae (like churches) that help the homeless. There are groups of Maori that try to end homelessness. This can be seen as a common goal the Maori community is working towards, but yet again, my research correspondence may not go into enough detail to show possible participants that my research is also working towards this, again because of me trying to eliminate any response bias.
And here is another principle, developed by Pohatu (2005):
Ata - The Principle of Growing Respectful Relationships This principle approaches the area of social services and how they interact with their clients. because Maori believes in everyone being connected, relationships are important to moving forward with the other principles. It is best to fully try to understand how relationships are important and that one's well-being depends on it. If a social service wants to help increase a person's well-being, they will foster nurturing relationships. The principle of Ata conveys the notion of reciprocity. That the researcher cannot just come, gather information, and then leave. There needs to be a relationship between all actors that makes people feel safe and respected. There needs to be a feeling that the researcher is giving back, and not just through their written report either.
By sending out emails rather than by going to talk with the individuals in person, there is a distinct aspect of the relationship that is missing; electronic communication is not personable and does less to build up a relationship. This is difficult because I have to rely on my emails when I am visiting another city in New Zealand. I have an email contact, but I am not positive that will be enough. I will be going to the service agencies more to create a relationship in Auckland so that can help me in the one city.
While I felt no apparent culture shift since arriving here a month ago, I am learning how important it is to do your research on how research is different in other cultures than your own, or even by an individual who is not a citizen. I was informed of this when I first got here, but I never realized it would be this different.
