Mana Wahine: Decolonising Gender in Aotearoa

Pīhama, Leonie

doi:10.1080/08164649.2020.1902270

Cited by 26 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Mana wāhine highlights multiple intersecting sites of struggle in the surgical workplace including racism, sexism and classism. Theories of mana wāhine focus on the way patriarchal, colonialist attitudes impact wāhine Māori and references the power and authority of wāhine Māori (Pihama, 2020). In naming this theme ‘mana wāhine’, the authors seek to highlight the additional curricula that wāhine in the sisterhood have negotiated in their surgical journeys thus far:“Challenges?…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Surgical Sisterhood – The Experiences of wāhine Māori and Pasifika Aspiring Surgeons

et al. 2022

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The establishment of a culturally diverse surgical workforce, largely on the basis of gender, has been highly promoted in Australasia in the last decade. Despite this, discussions of gender diversity in surgery have largely excluded Indigenous women. This study presents the experiences of wāhine Māori and Pasifika doctors in Aotearoa, who formed a surgical sisterhood to support them towards applying for advanced surgical training. Utilising mana wāhine and Masi methodologies, semi-structured interpersonal interviews were undertaken with five wāhine who formed the surgical sisterhood. Following transcription and analysis of all interviews, four key themes were identified. These were mana wāhine, unity, our why and change on the horizon. These themes illustrate the complex and varied experiences of wāhine Māori and Pasifika and how they have navigated their surgical pathways amidst multiple layers of discrimination towards being in a position to apply for advanced surgical training.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Surgical Sisterhood – The Experiences of wāhine Māori and Pasifika Aspiring Surgeons

et al. 2022

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“…Feminist theories interrogate how particular discourses operate to normalise specific gender and gender roles, for example, through patriarchal discourse. Patriarchy can be described as a social structure that grants priority to that "which is male or masculine over that which is female or feminine" (Marinucci, 2010, p. 131) This normalisation of gender and gender roles is considered a major form of inequity by feminist theorists (Blaise, 2005;Blaise & Taylor, 2012;Pihama, 2021).…”

Section: Feminist Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Marinucci (2010) credits Anzaldúa as a lead in creating the concept of a "multicultural feminist" which addresses the "unique issues that racial and ethnic minority women experience as a result of the intersecting influences of gender, race, class and sexuality on cultural identities" (p. 131). The lived experience of one woman does not mean all women feel that way and, for some women with more than one identity, the conflict of more than one identity can be problematic (Pihama, 2021). For example, Black people have "had to cope with not being members of a dominant group in the greater society and have also had to cope with 'being Black'" (Haddad, 2019, p. 4).…”

Section: Feminist Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Aotearoa, this knowledge and power dynamic was evident when the Mana Wahine movement was formed because Māori women wanted to directly challenge the racism within the (White) feminist and LGBT*QI movements in Aotearoa (Pihama, 2021). In this regard, challenging the dominance of normativising power effects can be seen as an expression of social, cultural and political critique.…”

Section: Powermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Aotearoa, the impact and privileging of heteronormative ideologies within Māori communities continues to have damaging consequences for many takatāpui (Māori LGBTTQ) whānau members (Kerekere, 2016) because of the lack of knowledge about historical acceptance of Rainbow people within the iwi 17 (Pihama, 2021). Historically, takatāpui people were welcomed members of an iwi (Hall, 2007;Kerekere, 2016) but the impact of colonisation and Christian doctrine initially imposed by missionaries meant that acceptance was no longer a given (Pihama, 2021).…”

Section: Subjectivitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“I Just Treated Them As Normal” Welcoming And Accepting Rainbow Families Into Early Childhood Education Settings In Aotearoa New Zealand: Newly Graduated Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Preparation By Initial Teacher Education

Cooper¹

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Global research increasingly highlights the importance and relevance of addressing gay equity issues with children, teachers, and families in education (Shelton et al., 2019). There has also been a rise in awareness regarding inclusion and a shift in the types of families attending early childhood education (ECE) settings in Aotearoa New Zealand (Loveridge et al., 2012). It is important that Rainbow families have a positive experience within their ECE settings, which can be achieved by ECE professionals collaborating with these families (Church et al., 2018; Gunn, 2003). However, even when there is a marked increase in family diversity, teachers have been slow to recognise the diversity of family composition, particularly with regard to same-gendered couples (Cloughessy & Waniganayake, 2014; Gunn, 2011; Iraklis, 2021; Shuker & Cherrington, 2016). This research sought to better understand the connection between ECE teachers’ initial teacher education (ITE) programme content and experience, and their willingness to include Rainbow families as part of the ECE curriculum in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. Education plays an important role in transmitting values, customs and culturally preferred practices in all cultures (Lyman et al., 2012). As well as welcoming children and families/whānau, ECE teachers are an important source of support for Rainbow families. Therefore, it is imperative that ECE teachers are well prepared to work with Rainbow families. Unfortunately, opportunities to advocate for Rainbow families in an ECE setting are not often created as such advocacy firstly requires teachers to critique heteronormativity. The pervasiveness of normative discourses means that this is a challenge. This study, grounded in feminist and queer theoretical frameworks, was located in Aotearoa New Zealand with teachers who had graduated within 18 months prior to the commencement of data collection. Data were gathered via an online questionnaire completed by 76 newly graduated ECE teachers across Aotearoa and eight semi-structured individual interviews. Through a critical analysis of the data gathered, I sought to understand what the participants felt about the support they had received during their ITE study towards enabling them to include Rainbow families into their learning environments, as well as the support they received in their early childhood centre with regard to discussing Rainbow families with the children. The findings of this study suggest that a lack of coverage of Rainbow families in ITE programmes is a key reason for newly graduated teachers lacking confidence in advocating for Rainbow families. There was a strong perception that treating all people ‘the same’ was expected and ideal. Whilst beginning teachers may face exposure to disapproving attitudes from other more experienced teachers towards the proactive inclusion of Rainbow families, what stood out in this study was the lack of conversations within teaching teams about how and when to talk to children about Rainbow families. This lack of discussion was evident even when Rainbow families were in attendance, thus amplifying the apparent stranglehold of heteronormative discourses. As a result, importance is not given to addressing the marginalisation of Rainbow family composition within ECE settings. It is the recommendation of this study that consideration be given to strategies for mitigating this current situation. Firstly, ITE providers can provide deliberate, comprehensive, and delineated coverage of inclusion topics and provide clear examples of ways to include and welcome Rainbow families. Emphasis should be given to the value of relationship building as key to forging understandings about difference. Finally, ITE providers need to urgently address the misperception that treating people ‘the same’ is an acceptable and desirable way of working with others. Newly graduated teachers need to consciously disrupt such normative discourses and I suggest that queering their teaching is one tool to enable this to happen.

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Neoliberalism and its Relationships with Feminism, Intersectionality and Postcolonialism

Schuster¹

2022

Neoliberalism and Its Impact on the Women's Movement in Aotearoa/New Zealand

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Mana Wahine: Decolonising Gender in Aotearoa

Cited by 26 publications

References 4 publications

The Surgical Sisterhood – The Experiences of wāhine Māori and Pasifika Aspiring Surgeons

The Surgical Sisterhood – The Experiences of wāhine Māori and Pasifika Aspiring Surgeons

“I Just Treated Them As Normal” Welcoming And Accepting Rainbow Families Into Early Childhood Education Settings In Aotearoa New Zealand: Newly Graduated Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Preparation By Initial Teacher Education

Neoliberalism and its Relationships with Feminism, Intersectionality and Postcolonialism

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